Open source Bitcoin work is collaboration under a microscope. Your code is not “done” when it runs on your laptop — it is done when reviewers can understand, test, and trust it.
Complete Step 1 // Required reading in the study plan above, then continue here.
Step 2 — Key terms and why this matters
| Term | Meaning | Where you use it |
|---|---|---|
| Feature branch | Short-lived branch for one change | Every contribution |
| Pull request (PR) | Proposal to merge your branch | Review and CI |
| ACK | “I support this after review” | Bitcoin Core–style review |
| NACK | “I object,” with reasons | Same — silence is not approval |
Analogy: A pull request is a work order: what changed, why it is safe, and how to verify it. Maintainers are inspectors protecting users’ money.
Bitcoin repositories move carefully. A confusing history or a PR that mixes five unrelated changes will stall.
Done when: You can explain branch, PR, ACK, and NACK without looking them up.
Step 3 — The daily loop (setup and practice)
Loading diagram…
git checkout -b fix/clarify-fee-docs
# ...edit files...
git add -p
git commit -m "docs: clarify fee estimation examples"
git push -u origin HEADExpected: A new remote branch exists; git log -1 --oneline shows a clear message.
Prefer messages that explain why:
- Good:
wallet: avoid double-counting change in balance - Weak:
fix stuff
A strong PR description answers: (1) What problem? (2) How did you test? (3) What should reviewers watch for?
Common mistakes
- Opening a PR from
mainwith dozens of unrelated commits - Force-pushing during active review without warning
- Ignoring CI failures and asking for review anyway
Done when: You have created at least one focused branch with a clear commit on a machine you control.
Step 4 — Hands-on check (lab)
- Fork or clone a small Bitcoin-adjacent repo (or use your own).
- Fix a typo or docs issue on a feature branch.
- Commit with a conventional-style message.
- Open a PR or paste a full PR description as lab evidence.
Done when: Lab evidence includes branch/commit + PR text + which required guide you followed.
Next lesson
With Git habits in place, study the Cryptography Primer — hashes, key pairs, ECDSA, and Schnorr.