.. _contribution-background:

What should I know before I get started?
########################################

The more you know about Linux and contributing to upstream projects, the better, but this knowledge isn't strictly required. Simply
reading about contributing to Linux and upstream projects can help build your vocabulary in a meaningful way to help out. Learn about
the skills required for Linux contributions in the :ref:`beagleboard-linux-upstream` section.

The most useful thing to know is how to ask smart questions. Read about this in the :ref:`intro-getting-support` section. If you ask
smart questions on the issue trackers and forum, you'll be doing a lot to help us improve the designs and documentation.