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diff --git a/contributing.md b/contributing.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..51578d9 --- /dev/null +++ b/contributing.md @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ +[[!meta title="Contributing to Obnam"]] + +The Obnam project welcomes contributions. If you want to help Obnam +become better, you can. There are many ways to contribute that don't +involve writing code. + +* improve the documentation + - fix typos or grammar + - clarify some part + - provide a helpful diagram + - write missing parts of the documentation +* improve the website + - fix typos or grammar + - fix a layout problem + - suggest a helpful link + - make a stylish logo? +* try out the software and report your back your experiences + - what went well? what could be improved? +* help others who have trouble with the software + - on IRC, Matrix, or on the issue tracker +* help the developers understand what you need + - document your use case +* fix a bug +* add a missing feature + +We co-ordinate our work via the gitlab.com [issue tracker][]. Using it +requires an account on the site: if that's a problem for you, please +get in touch and we may be able to arrange something. + +[issue tracker]: https://gitlab.com/larswirzenius/obnam/-/issues + +# Getting Obnam to change so you can do what you want to do + +Sometimes it happens you want Obnam to do something that it doesn't +quite know how to do. Here's some advice for that situation. + +* For any substantial discussions, we prefer the issue tracker over + chat systems. Chat systems are great for quick questions, but + they're also ephemeral and only help the people who happen to be + present at the time. The issue tracker lasts longer, and allows + long-form replies and taking time to respond in depth. + +* When suggesting or contributing a new feature, please always start + by explaining the thing you want to achieve. "I want to back up a a + historic computer's disk with a file system that isn't supported by + Linux" is a better start than sending a patch for backing up raw + disks. It's easier to judge a change fairly if the need for it is + clear. + +* If you contribute a functional change, please also change the + automated test suite to verify the changed functionality changes. If + you're not sure how to do that, please ask, and we'll help. We rely + on our test suite to be able to make large changes rapidly and + confidently. (Adding tests for bugs, when they're fixed, would be + nice too, but we don't insist on that.) + +Some caveats so you know what to expect: + +* Obnam is a hobby project. It might take a while for us to respond. + Please be patient. However, if you open an issue, and haven't heard + back in a week, ping us on the issue or via a chat system. We try to + be prompt, but sometimes work and life get in the way of working on + hobby projects. |