Java open-source project to contribute

Get a Android phone. When you use something every day, you see the problems in it much easier. Whenever you find something that annoys you, fix it (all UI stuff is Java, and some of the lower level).

Apache Commons has dozens and dozens of niche areas you can work on. Pick your favorite and start plugging away! Better yet, why not start your own? There's always room for more and better solutions in the world.

... are very difficult to be a commiter

:) You will not become a committer on a project as soon as you start contributing to it. So, don't worry about it so soon.

Here's what i would suggest -

• Use the Eclipse IDE. All the projects are open source with a friendly community and ample opportunities for contribution.
• Java itself is open-source now and a few previously commercial libraries now getting open sourced, again a good chance to contribute.
• Finally, the whole set of Apache projects are also great starting points. There are on varied topics and you should find something that will interest you.

as stated before on SO, find a project that you'd use, and thus have more motivation in developing further - regardless of whether its developed by others or not.

I think the best you can do is to contribute to opensource java apps you actually use, this way you will be motivated. Also, don't start with something huge. Programs like jDownloader, muCommander and TuxGuitar are good candidates.

The single most important factor that will determine the project you contribute to is your interest in that project. If you already use a Open-Source Java code library/product, you already have a built a platform, and the next step would be to start contributing to it in forms of documentation/tips and code.

Documentation is usually a easy and a good starting point for any project. I shall narrate you a personal example- I started off contributing to the NetBeans Community Docs by contributing articles, and then went on to manage it for a year. Now, I am also a code committer to the NetBeans Python support.

You, too could follow a similar trajectory. Just choose a Java project you already know and use and then tinker with it, know more about it and then you can start fixing bugs or contributing features. Do not worry about being a committer very early. A committer is often a coveted position which you will have to earn. Good Luck.

Have you looked at Kenai? This is a fairly new project-hosting site backed by Sun, so there may be lots of opportunities to get involved. It also has great integration with Netbeans 6.7