Looking for a Good First Issue for GSoC 2026

Development
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Hi everyone!

I’m a new contributor preparing for GSoC 2026.I have set up OpenMRS locally, created my OpenMRS ID, and forked/cloned openmrs-core on GitHub.

I’m looking for a good first issue to work on in openmrs-core. I’m comfortable with Java and Maven.

Can anyone suggest an available beginner issue I can start with?

Thank you!

1 Like
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Hi, you can refer JIRA for Good first issue. If you don’t have JIRA access then you need to request for JIRA access.

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Thank you for the response!

I already have JIRA access. I have been browsing issues but I’m having trouble finding an unassigned beginner issue with no existing pull requests.

Could you suggest a specific issue or point me to the right project/filter to find Good First Issues in openmrs-core?

Thank you!

1 Like
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You can look for following filters:

  1. Intro Issues Filter - Unassigned

  2. Created recently

    Also you can find Issues related to your favourite tech stack as well.

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hay @shrutisocrates thank you for joining openmrs, since you have cloned openmrs-core then you are focusing on the backend, Have you tried TRUNk? they may all be assigned since it is a GSoC period

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Thank you so much for the warm welcome!

Yes I have been looking at TRUNK but most issues either already have a pull request or are too complex for a beginner.

Could you suggest any specific TRUNK ticket that is available for a new contributor? Or should I look at a specific module instead of openmrs-core?

Thank you!

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hay @shrutisocrates since you are aiming for GSoC you need a PR, I can not promise you that i can get for you an unassigned TRUNK ticket, if possible there are people that have more than one ticket assigned to them you can approach them and see if they can let one for you

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Thank you so much for the advice @wedson!

I will look through the assigned TRUNK tickets and reach out to contributors who have multiple issues assigned.

I also found a TODO comment in HibernateForm DAO.java for a missing junit test.Would working on that and raising a PR be a valid contribution even without a formal JIRA ticket?

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Actually it is possible to find a bug or an issue, you create a ticket and and assign it to your self

follow this calender in the next 5 minutes and join the newbies call and ask anything you need to know https://openmrs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/docs/pages/26278390/Events+Meetings+OpenMRS+Calendar

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okay , let me join the meet immediately then!

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Hello everyone, I am a new member around and preparing for GSOC 2026 and would like to know how to get access to JIRA so that I can also get started and solve some issues and bugs.

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@utkarshbhaskar10 ,
Follow the steps mention in wiki - https://openmrs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/docs/pages/25477628/Guide+for+the+New+and+Curious

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Hi @shrutisocrates,

I was also exploring beginner issues and recently worked on a small improvement in openmrs-core related to file handling.

I found that exploring TODOs and improving small parts of the codebase can be a good way to get started when issues are limited.

Hope this helps!

2 Likes
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Update: I have submitted my first PR! :tada:

TRUNK-6598: Add missing unit test for containingAnyFormField in HibernateFormDAO

PR link: https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/openmrs-core/pull/XXXX

Looking forward to feedback from the community!

Thank you! Shruti

1 Like
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Congrats on your first PR, Shruti! :tada:

Just a small note, it looks like the PR link might still be a placeholder. Could you please share the correct link? I’d love to take a look at your implementation.

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Thank you so much!

Here is the correct PR link:

Looking forward to your feedback!

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Hi everyone, I’m Vinay. I’m interested in contributing to OpenMRS and preparing for GSoC.

I have experience with Java, Spring, and Maven, and I’m comfortable working with REST APIs and backend development.

I’d love to start with a good first issue—preferably in backend modules like openmrs-core. Any guidance or issue suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!

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Hi Vinay, welcome!

Since you already have a good backend background, you can start by exploring small improvements in openmrs-core like adding tests, fixing TODOs, or reviewing recent PRs.

You can also check Jira for introductory issues, but if they’re limited, trying out small enhancements on your own works well too.

Feel free to ask if you need any help getting started!

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Hi, thanks a lot for the guidance! That’s really helpful.

I’ll start by exploring openmrs-core for TODOs and areas where I can add or improve tests.I’ll also take a look at some recent PRs to better understand the codebase and contribution style.

If I find a small enhancement or improvement, I’ll share my approach here before opening a PR. Thanks again, and I’ll reach out if I get stuck!

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Hey, that sounds like a solid approach :+1:

Exploring TODOs and recent PRs is a really good way to get familiar with openmrs-core.

If you find something and want a quick sanity check before opening a PR, feel free to share it here happy to help!