First, thanks for taking the time to contribute to our project! There are many ways you can help out.
If you have a question that needs an answer, create an issue, and label it as a question. Another option is to initiate a discussion.
If you encounter any bugs in the code, or want to request a new feature or enhancement, please create an issue to report it. Kindly add a label to indicate what type of issue it is.
We ask that before contributing, please make the effort to coordinate with the maintainers of the project before submitting large or high impact PRs. This will prevent you from doing extra work that may or may not be merged.
While pull requests are the methodology for submitting changes to code, changes are much more likely to be accepted if they are accompanied by additional engineering work. While we don't define this explicitly, most of these goals are accomplished through communication of the design goals and subsequent solutions. Often times, it helps to first state the problem before presenting solutions.
Typically, the best methods of accomplishing this are to submit an issue, stating the problem. This issue can include a problem statement and a checklist with requirements. If solutions are proposed, alternatives should be listed and eliminated. Even if the criteria for elimination of a solution is frivolous, say so.
Make sure that new tests are added for bugs in order to catch regressions and tests with new features to exercise the new functionality that is added.
Creating a Pull Request
Please follow best practices for creating git commits.
When your code is ready to be submitted, submit a pull request to begin the code review process.
The sign-off is a simple line at the end of the explanation for the patch. Your signature certifies that you wrote the patch or otherwise have the right to pass it on as an open-source patch. The rules are pretty simple: if you can certify the below (from developercertificate.org):
Developer Certificate of Origin
Version 1.1
Copyright (C) 2004, 2006 The Linux Foundation and its contributors.
1 Letterman Drive
Suite D4700
San Francisco, CA 94129 USA
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this
license document, but changing it is not allowed.
Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.1
By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
(a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I
have the right to submit it under the open source license
indicated in the file; or
(b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best
of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source
license and I have the right under that license to submit that
work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part
by me, under the same open source license (unless I am
permitted to submit under a different license), as indicated
in the file; or
(c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other
person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified
it.
(d) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution
are public and that a record of the contribution (including all
personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is
maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with
this project or the open source license(s) involved.
Then you just add a line to every git commit message:
Signed-off-by: Joe Smith <joe.smith@email.com>
Use your real name (sorry, no pseudonyms or anonymous contributions.)
If you set your user.name and user.email git configs, you can sign your
commit automatically with git commit -s.