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howtocontribute [2014/11/11 16:52]
lionelsambuc
howtocontribute [2016/04/02 23:21]
dcvmoole [Minix License] clarification
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 +
 +====== How to Contribute to MINIX ======
 +
 +This page describes how you can contribute to MINIX.
 +
 +===== Finding a Project =====
 +
 +See the [[:​Wishlist:​]] for areas where we could use help.
 +
 +===== Contributing Patches =====
 +Patches are pieces of code that solve an existing issue. In fact, patches describe the changes between a before and after state. Patches will need to be created against the latest development version of [[http://​git.minix3.org/?​p=minix.git|MINIX3 from Git]] (or from the official [[https://​github.com/​Stichting-MINIX-Research-Foundation/​minix|mirror on GitHub]]).
 +
 +We prefer patches in the form of [[https://​github.com/​Stichting-MINIX-Research-Foundation/​minix/​pulls|pull requests on GitHub]]. If for some reason you are not able to create a GitHub pull request for your patch, you can send it to the [[http://​groups.google.com/​group/​minix3|MINIX3 Google Group]] instead, but merging patches is a bit more work for us that way.
 +
 +Also see the wiki page on [[DevelopersGuide:​TrackingCurrent|tracking MINIX3-current]].
 +===== Contributing Packages =====
 +
 +Send your pkgsrc patch to the [[http://​groups.google.com/​group/​minix3|MINIX 3 Google Group]]. Before generating it, make sure you have updated your pkgsrc git repository. ​
 +
 +If you modified the program'​s source code, please send your MINIX-specific patch to the original authors of the program.
 +
 +Also see [[:​DevelopersGuide:​PortingGuide]].
 +
 +===== MINIX License =====
 +
 +MINIX 3 is licensed under the BSD license, so we //​absolutely require// contributions to our base system, drivers, and the like, to be BSD-licensed. If you are porting code to MINIX from another OS, please port BSD-licensed code. For instance, if you are porting a driver to MINIX, you might start with a FreeBSD or NetBSD driver. There are a few exceptions in the MINIX3 base system, such as the external/ and gnu/ source tree subdirectories,​ which have their own rules in this regard. For example, any required GNU-licensed code must be downloaded on demand rather than be part of the actual base system. We follow NetBSD'​s lead here. In any case, the MINIX3 source code is to be free of license violations, and we will simply reject patches that introduce problems in that department.
 +
 +On that note: we assume that unless specified otherwise, code that is submitted to us has the proper license (i.e., is BSD-licensed or directly compatible). In other words, we will not require explicit copyright sign-over for as long as the project is not getting into trouble over this. This is a "good faith" assumption that keeps the wheels turning right now.
 +
 +The MINIX 3 ports use the BSD license for port metadata (build scripts, etc.), but modifications to the original program should use the license of the ported program.
  
howtocontribute.txt · Last modified: 2016/04/02 23:21 by dcvmoole