Creating Your Account

Before You Begin#

What You’ll Need#

• A valid email address - Used for account verification and important notifications
• A username idea - Your unique identifier on OpenCommit.eu (can be changed later)
• 5 minutes - The entire process is quick and simple

Step 1: Navigate to OpenCommit.eu#

1. Open your web browser and go to https://opencommit.eu
2. Look for the “Register” button in the top-right corner
3. Click it to begin the registration process

Step 2: Fill Out the Registration Form#

You’ll see a registration form with several fields:

Username#

Your username is how you’ll be known on OpenCommit.

Guidelines:

• Between 3 and 40 characters
• Can contain letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores
• Must start with a letter or number
• Must be unique (no two users can have the same username)
• Case-insensitive but displayed as you type it

Choosing a Good Username:

Think Long-Term
Your username will appear in all your repository URLs (e.g., opencommit.eu/username/project). Choose something professional and memorable that you’ll be happy with for years to come.

Email Address#

Enter a valid email address that you have access to.

Important Notes:

• You must verify this email before your account is fully activated
• This email will receive important notifications about your account
• You can add additional email addresses later
• Your email is private by default and never shown to other users

Email Privacy Options:

After registration, you can choose to:

• Keep your email completely private
• Display your email on your public profile
• Use a privacy-friendly commit email like username@opencommit.eu

Password#

Create a strong, unique password for your account.

Password Requirements:

• Minimum 10 characters
• We recommend at least 12 characters
• Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols

Password Best Practices:

Creating a Strong Password:

1. Use a password manager - Tools like Bitwarden, KeePassXC, or 1Password generate and store strong passwords
2. Make it unique - Don’t reuse passwords from other sites
3. Use a passphrase - Example: Purple!Elephant#Dances$88
4. Avoid personal info - No birthdays, names, or common words

Confirm Password#

Type your password again to ensure you’ve entered it correctly.

Captcha (if present)#

Some registration forms include a captcha to prevent automated signups. Complete the captcha challenge if one appears.

Step 3: Review and Accept Terms#

Before submitting your registration:

1. Read the Terms of Service - Understand your rights and responsibilities
2. Review the Privacy Policy - Know how your data is handled
3. Check the Code of Conduct - Commit to being a respectful community member

Key points to remember:

• OpenCommit.eu is for open source projects only
• All public repositories must use an OSI or OpenCommit-approved open source license
• Respect others and follow community guidelines
• Use resources fairly and ethically

Required Agreement
By creating an account, you agree to:

• Host only open source projects with appropriate licenses
• Follow the Code of Conduct in all interactions
• Use the platform responsibly and ethically
• Accept that the service is provided “as is” without warranties

If you agree, then click “Create Account”.

Step 4: Verify Your Email#

After submitting the registration form:

1. Check your email inbox for a message from OpenCommit

   • Subject will be something like “[OPENCOMMIT] Welcome to OpenCommit”
   • Sender: do-not-reply@opencommit.eu

2. Open the verification email

3. Click the verification link

   • This link is typically valid for 24-48 hours
   • Clicking it confirms you own the email address

4. You’ll be redirected to OpenCommit.eu with a confirmation message

Didn’t Receive the Email?

If the verification email doesn’t arrive within a few minutes:

1. Check your spam/junk folder - Sometimes verification emails get filtered
2. Check for typos - Make sure you entered your email correctly
3. Wait a bit longer - Email delivery can occasionally be delayed
4. Resend verification - Look for a “Resend Verification Email” option on the login page
5. Contact support - If all else fails, reach out for help

Step 5: Complete Your Profile#

Once your email is verified, you can (optionally) enhance your profile:

Profile Picture#

Add a profile picture to make your account more recognizable:

1. Go to Settings → Profile
2. Click “Upload New Picture” or similar
3. Choose an image (JPEG, PNG, or GIF)
4. Recommended size: 300x300 pixels or larger
5. Square images work best

No picture? OpenCommit.eu will generate a unique avatar based on your username (called an “identicon”).

Profile Information#

Customize these optional fields:

Full Name

• Your real name or preferred name
• Helps people know who you are
• Can be left blank

Bio

• A short description (up to ~255 characters)
• Share what you work on or your interests
• Example: “Python developer passionate about data science and open source”

Website

• Your personal website, blog, or portfolio
• Displayed as a clickable link on your profile

Location

• City, region, or country
• Helps build a sense of community
• Can be as vague or specific as you like

Company/Organization

• Where you work or study (optional)

Social Links

• Link to your Twitter, Mastodon, LinkedIn, etc.
• Helps people connect with you across platforms

Privacy Tip
All profile information you add is public. Only include information you’re comfortable sharing with the world. When in doubt, leave it blank—you can always add details later!

Step 6: Configure Account Settings#

Take a moment to review your account settings:

Appearance#

• Theme - Choose light, dark, or auto (matches system settings)
• Language - Select your preferred language

Privacy Settings#

Email Visibility

• Keep your email address private (recommended)
• Show your email on your public profile
• Use a privacy email for commits

Activity Privacy

• Show your activity on your profile page
• Hide certain activities from public view

Notification Preferences#

Configure how you want to receive notifications:

• Email notifications - For issues, pull requests, mentions
• Web notifications - In-browser alerts
• Frequency - Instant, daily digest, or weekly summary

You can always change these settings later as you learn what works for you.

Security Settings#

Enhance your account security:

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Highly Recommended
Enable 2FA to add an extra layer of security to your account. Even if someone obtains your password, they won’t be able to access your account without the second factor.

Supported methods:

• TOTP apps - Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.
• Security keys - YubiKey, Titan, etc.

To enable 2FA:

1. Go to Settings → Security
2. Click “Enable Two-Factor Authentication”
3. Follow the setup wizard
4. Save your recovery codes in a safe place!

SSH Keys

If you plan to use git from the command line, you’ll eventually want to add SSH keys. Don’t worry about this now—we cover it in the Git Basics for the Command Line guide.

Common Account Issues#

Can’t Log In#

If you’re having trouble logging in:

1. Check your caps lock - Passwords are case-sensitive
2. Use the correct email/username - Make sure you’re using what you registered with
3. Reset your password - Click “Forgot Password?” on the login page
4. Clear browser cache - Sometimes old data causes issues
5. Try a different browser - Rule out browser-specific problems

Username Already Taken#

If your desired username is already taken:

• Try adding numbers or underscores: johndoe → john_doe or johndoe42
• Use your full name: john-smith
• Add your specialty: johndoe-dev
• Get creative: coding_john or john-builds-things

Verification Email Issues#

See the troubleshooting hints in Step 4 above. If problems persist, contact support with:

• The email address you used to register
• The username you chose
• When you registered (date and approximate time)

Next Steps#

Congratulations! Your OpenCommit.eu account is now set up. 🎉

What’s next?

New to Git?
→ Start with What is Git? to understand version control basics

Familiar with Git?
→ Jump to Your First Repository to start hosting projects

Want to Contribute?
→ Check out Making Your First Contribution to help other projects

Recommended First Steps#

1. Explore the interface - Click around and get familiar with the layout
2. Find interesting projects - Browse public repositories to see what others are building
3. Star projects you like - Show appreciation and bookmark projects for later
4. Join a discussion - Comment on an issue or participate in a project discussion
5. Create your first repository - Start with a simple README or portfolio project

Getting Help#

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

• Documentation - Browse our guides and references
• Community Forum - Ask questions and learn from others
• FAQ - Quick answers to common questions
• Support - Contact us directly for account-specific issues

Welcome to the OpenCommit.eu community! We’re excited to see what you’ll build and contribute. 🚀