nixpkgs/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md

# How to contribute

Note: contributing implies licensing those contributions
under the terms of [COPYING](../COPYING), which is an MIT-like license.

## Opening issues

* Make sure you have a [GitHub account](https://github.com/signup/free)
* [Submit an issue](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues) - assuming one does not already exist.
  * Clearly describe the issue including steps to reproduce when it is a bug.
  * Include information what version of nixpkgs and Nix are you using (nixos-version or git revision).

## Submitting changes

* Format the commit messages in the following way:

  ```
  (pkg-name | nixos/<module>): (from -> to | init at version | refactor | etc)

  (Motivation for change. Additional information.)
  ```

  Examples:

  * nginx: init at 2.0.1
  * firefox: 54.0.1 -> 55.0
  * nixos/hydra: add bazBaz option

    Dual baz behavior is needed to do foo.
  * nixos/nginx: refactor config generation

    The old config generation system used impure shell scripts and could break in specific circumstances (see #1234).

* `meta.description` should:
  * Be capitalized.
  * Not start with the package name.
  * Not have a period at the end.
* `meta.license` must be set and fit the upstream license.
  * If there is no upstream license, `meta.license` should default to `stdenv.lib.licenses.unfree`.
* `meta.maintainers` must be set.

See the nixpkgs manual for more details on [standard meta-attributes](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/#sec-standard-meta-attributes) and on how to [submit changes to nixpkgs](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/#chap-submitting-changes).

## Writing good commit messages

In addition to writing properly formatted commit messages, it's important to include relevant information so other developers can later understand *why* a change was made. While this information usually can be found by digging code, mailing list/Discourse archives, pull request discussions or upstream changes, it may require a lot of work.

For package version upgrades and such a one-line commit message is usually sufficient.

## Reviewing contributions

See the nixpkgs manual for more details on how to [Review contributions](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/#sec-reviewing-contributions).
CONTRIBUTING.md: initial 2015-04-07 13:11:59 +00:00			`# How to contribute`

CONTRIBUTING.md: add a notice about licensing This suplements changes from #11557; see the long discussion. 2015-12-19 13:34:58 +00:00			`Note: contributing implies licensing those contributions`
CONTRIBUTING.md: Fix link to COPYING 2016-02-23 13:47:43 +00:00			`under the terms of [COPYING](../COPYING), which is an MIT-like license.`
CONTRIBUTING.md: add a notice about licensing This suplements changes from #11557; see the long discussion. 2015-12-19 13:34:58 +00:00
CONTRIBUTING.md: initial 2015-04-07 13:11:59 +00:00			`## Opening issues`

			`* Make sure you have a [GitHub account](https://github.com/signup/free)`
CONTRIBUTING.md: fix typos 2015-06-21 15:32:54 +00:00			`* [Submit an issue](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues) - assuming one does not already exist.`
			`* Clearly describe the issue including steps to reproduce when it is a bug.`
			`* Include information what version of nixpkgs and Nix are you using (nixos-version or git revision).`
CONTRIBUTING.md: initial 2015-04-07 13:11:59 +00:00
			`## Submitting changes`

CONTRIBUTING.md: be more precise what is meant by formatting commits 2017-11-13 09:02:56 +00:00			`* Format the commit messages in the following way:`
Simplify contributing * Highlight the top mistakes directly in CONTRIBUTING.md * Remove unecessary cruft from the PR template 2016-04-09 16:53:24 +00:00
CONTRIBUTING.md: improve commit message guidelines Add a brief request for expressing the motivation for a change. Change the example commit messages to match. Resolves #19126. 2017-02-06 20:26:32 +00:00			```
CONTRIBUTING.md: suggest "nixos/<module>" prefix for NixOS changes Suggest prefixing commit messages that touches NixOS code with "nixos/<module>" instead of the current "<name> service" prefix. "<name> service" is limiting in that NixOS code is more than the services. It is also easier to spot NixOS changes with explicit "nixos/..." prefix. 2017-07-15 14:32:01 +00:00			`(pkg-name \| nixos/<module>): (from -> to \| init at version \| refactor \| etc)`
CONTRIBUTING.md: be more precise what is meant by formatting commits 2017-11-13 09:02:56 +00:00
CONTRIBUTING.md: improve commit message guidelines Add a brief request for expressing the motivation for a change. Change the example commit messages to match. Resolves #19126. 2017-02-06 20:26:32 +00:00			`(Motivation for change. Additional information.)`
			```
Simplify contributing * Highlight the top mistakes directly in CONTRIBUTING.md * Remove unecessary cruft from the PR template 2016-04-09 16:53:24 +00:00
			`Examples:`

			`* nginx: init at 2.0.1`
documentation: use modern Firefox version in example 2017-09-01 17:55:34 +00:00			`* firefox: 54.0.1 -> 55.0`
CONTRIBUTING.md: suggest "nixos/<module>" prefix for NixOS changes Suggest prefixing commit messages that touches NixOS code with "nixos/<module>" instead of the current "<name> service" prefix. "<name> service" is limiting in that NixOS code is more than the services. It is also easier to spot NixOS changes with explicit "nixos/..." prefix. 2017-07-15 14:32:01 +00:00			`* nixos/hydra: add bazBaz option`
CONTRIBUTING.md: be more precise what is meant by formatting commits 2017-11-13 09:02:56 +00:00
CONTRIBUTING.md: improve commit message guidelines Add a brief request for expressing the motivation for a change. Change the example commit messages to match. Resolves #19126. 2017-02-06 20:26:32 +00:00			`Dual baz behavior is needed to do foo.`
CONTRIBUTING.md: suggest "nixos/<module>" prefix for NixOS changes Suggest prefixing commit messages that touches NixOS code with "nixos/<module>" instead of the current "<name> service" prefix. "<name> service" is limiting in that NixOS code is more than the services. It is also easier to spot NixOS changes with explicit "nixos/..." prefix. 2017-07-15 14:32:01 +00:00			`* nixos/nginx: refactor config generation`
CONTRIBUTING.md: be more precise what is meant by formatting commits 2017-11-13 09:02:56 +00:00
CONTRIBUTING.md: improve commit message guidelines Add a brief request for expressing the motivation for a change. Change the example commit messages to match. Resolves #19126. 2017-02-06 20:26:32 +00:00			`The old config generation system used impure shell scripts and could break in specific circumstances (see #1234).`
Simplify contributing * Highlight the top mistakes directly in CONTRIBUTING.md * Remove unecessary cruft from the PR template 2016-04-09 16:53:24 +00:00
fixup! Simplify contributing 2016-04-09 19:50:48 +00:00			* `meta.description` should:
CONTRIBUTING.md: mention that the meta.license and meta.maintainers attributes must be set 2017-09-22 13:12:49 +00:00			`* Be capitalized.`
			`* Not start with the package name.`
			`* Not have a period at the end.`
			* `meta.license` must be set and fit the upstream license.
CONTRIBUTING.md: license should default to unfree if there is no upstream license 2017-10-09 09:37:02 +00:00			* If there is no upstream license, `meta.license` should default to `stdenv.lib.licenses.unfree`.
CONTRIBUTING.md: mention that the meta.license and meta.maintainers attributes must be set 2017-09-22 13:12:49 +00:00			* `meta.maintainers` must be set.
Simplify contributing * Highlight the top mistakes directly in CONTRIBUTING.md * Remove unecessary cruft from the PR template 2016-04-09 16:53:24 +00:00
CONTRIBUTING.md: mention that the meta.license and meta.maintainers attributes must be set 2017-09-22 13:12:49 +00:00			`See the nixpkgs manual for more details on [standard meta-attributes](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/#sec-standard-meta-attributes) and on how to [submit changes to nixpkgs](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/#chap-submitting-changes).`
Simplify contributing * Highlight the top mistakes directly in CONTRIBUTING.md * Remove unecessary cruft from the PR template 2016-04-09 16:53:24 +00:00
CONTRIBUTING.md: improve commit message guidelines Add a brief request for expressing the motivation for a change. Change the example commit messages to match. Resolves #19126. 2017-02-06 20:26:32 +00:00			`## Writing good commit messages`

treewide: remove mailing list references 2018-08-23 13:19:02 +00:00			`In addition to writing properly formatted commit messages, it's important to include relevant information so other developers can later understand why a change was made. While this information usually can be found by digging code, mailing list/Discourse archives, pull request discussions or upstream changes, it may require a lot of work.`
CONTRIBUTING.md: improve commit message guidelines Add a brief request for expressing the motivation for a change. Change the example commit messages to match. Resolves #19126. 2017-02-06 20:26:32 +00:00
			`For package version upgrades and such a one-line commit message is usually sufficient.`

nixos-doc: add reviewing-contributions 2016-09-26 06:36:03 +00:00			`## Reviewing contributions`

CONTRIBUTING.md: switch to a link that actually works Fixes #20594. 2016-11-24 09:00:14 +00:00			`See the nixpkgs manual for more details on how to [Review contributions](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/#sec-reviewing-contributions).`