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Add sections for new contributors to find tasks and get help #153

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Add sections for new contributors to find tasks and get help
timpieces Jan 26, 2026
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[pre-commit.ci] auto fixes from pre-commit.com hooks
pre-commit-ci[bot] Jan 26, 2026
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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion gettingstarted/dependencies.md
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Expand Up @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ why FreeCAD needs them.

## Supported versions

The head of the main branch of FreeCAD, currently used for the development of FreeCAD 1.2, can be compiled from source on systems as old as the oldest currently-supported [Ubuntu LTS](https://packages.ubuntu.com/) at the time of its expected release, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. This ties FreeCAD development to the C++23 standard, Python 3.11 and later (we plan to swtich to 3.12 or later once Blender updates their dependencies in mid-2026), Qt 6.4, and the versions of the required libraries available on that system. Note that Qt does not support PySide6 `pip` installation on this system, so use of a PPA is required for that dependency. The decision to stop support for Qt5 was [announced 5 January 2026](https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?t=102292).
The head of the main branch of FreeCAD, currently used for the development of FreeCAD 1.2, can be compiled from source on systems as old as the oldest currently-supported [Ubuntu LTS](https://packages.ubuntu.com/) at the time of its expected release, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. This ties FreeCAD development to the C++23 standard, Python 3.11 and later (we plan to swtich to 3.12 or later once Blender updates their dependencies in mid-2026), Qt 6.4, and the versions of the required libraries available on that system. Note that Qt does not support PySide6 `pip` installation on this system, so use of a PPA is required for that dependency. The decision to stop support for Qt5 was [announced 5 January 2026](https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?t=102292).

## Major dependencies

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21 changes: 21 additions & 0 deletions gettingstarted/index.md
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Expand Up @@ -111,6 +111,27 @@ The Visual Studio Installer may be used to install Visual Studio Community 2019
- [Visual Studio Code](./VSCode)
- [CLion](./CLion)

## Finding Tasks to Work On

The GitHub issues tracker contains a 'Good First Issue' tag. Filtering by this tag will show issues that are well suited for new contributors.
Try to find an issue that seems like an obvious win. If your issue seems unclear or complex, and you've given it a good shot, consider asking for help on Discord or the Forum before investing too much time (see below).

Please note: While existing contributors try their best to be helpful, open source projects attract many first-time contributors, many of whom may not stick around for long.
As such, existing contributors have limited time to help all newcomers. Please don't be offended if your questions go unanswered. Your contributions are still appreciated.

For subsequent issues:
- Keep an eye on the GitHub issues (see below)
- Fix issues / make improvements that you notice in your own usage of FreeCAD - ensure they haven't already been fixed in latest dev!
- Ask on the Discord (see below)

## Collaborating with Others

There are four main places to collaborate with other FreeCAD developers:
- [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/issues): Useful for tagging specific people for discussions related to a particular issue
- [Discord](https://discord.com/channels/870877411049357352/1099444468895199232): More free-form and general development discussions, and longer-term planning
- [FreeCAD Forum](https://forum.freecad.org/) (Particularly FreeCAD Development subform): Useful for reaching a wide audience + non-dev users, but typically not active for actual development discussions
- [FreeCAD Development Meetings](https://www.freecad.org/events.php): Weekly/Monthly meetings for discussion of development work

## Submitting a PR

The basic process is:
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