All opensource projects need good documentation. That's not a small task ;-) but it's needed to get adoption.
Pick something interesting but hard to start/learn/understand and WRITE. This will sharpen your communication skills, which is crucial when explaining stuff to non-technical people (like your manager).
The installer / upgrade part of any project is also equally important; but it's better covered because it's part of the build process (the only exceptions is that you're selling enterprise software to a multi-million $$$ company: in that case your software must be as hard to install as posible in order to justify selling professional services).
I tried to sign up (because it's a fantastic idea) but I got:
"We're sorry, but something went wrong."
when I tried to authorize the application in GitHub. If this is your project I'd love to try it out if there's another way for me to sign up (or another date I can try).
I am a C developer and I work personally on PHP and have written some utility scripts using python. I don't stick to a language. I am a quick learner and I am flexible.
I would like to start with a small tasks / modules as of now until I get a hold on things.
All of them. You might be better off choosing an open-source project based on your interests and background rather than looking for a project that's particularly desperate.
Well, then go on - list your interests (or skills).
And please don't pick a project that's desperate for people -
It's a classic case of the mythical man month.
Most of the time the core folks will find bringing up a new member up-to speed as a distraction, particularly when there's no commitment from either side to keep working on it (compared something like google summer of code).
PS: if all else fails, pick up a new programming language & write examples/cookbook-recipes for it
Pick something interesting but hard to start/learn/understand and WRITE. This will sharpen your communication skills, which is crucial when explaining stuff to non-technical people (like your manager).
The installer / upgrade part of any project is also equally important; but it's better covered because it's part of the build process (the only exceptions is that you're selling enterprise software to a multi-million $$$ company: in that case your software must be as hard to install as posible in order to justify selling professional services).