org-mode/README_contribute

  -*- mode: org; fill-column:65 -*-

This is the GIT repository for the development of Org mode, an
Emacs mode for organizing your life.

The text below explains the rules for participating in Org mode
development.

* Main rules

1. The master git repository is hosted publicly at orgmode.org.
   Anyone can get a clone of the current repository state using
   the command

     git clone https://code.orgmode.org/bzg/org-mode.git

   Having a clone is sufficient to start hacking and to produce
   patches that can easily and consistently be applied to the
   main repository.

2. People who are interested in participating to the Org mode
   development can do so by sending patches to this address:

     [[mailto:emacs-orgmode@gnu.org][emacs-orgmode@gnu.org]]

3. An interested developer can also request push access to the
   central repository by creating an account on code.orgmode.org
   and by sending her/his user info to the maintainer.

   After you have been added as a user with push privileges,
   clone the repository through ssh using

     git clone git@code.orgmode.org:bzg/org-mode.git

   By requesting push access, you acknowledge that you have read
   and agreed with the following rules:

   - Org mode is part of GNU Emacs.  Therefore, we need to be
     very conscious about changes moving into the Org mode core.
     These can originate only from people who have signed the
     appropriate papers with the Free Software Foundation.  The
     files to which this applies are:

     - all *.el files in the lisp directory of the repository
     - org.texi, orgcard.tex in the doc directory
     - the corresponding ChangeLog files

   - Before making any significant changes, please explain and
     discuss them on the mailing list emacs-orgmode@gnu.org.

     This does obviously not apply to people who are maintaining
     their own contributions to Org mode.  Please, just use the
     new mechanism to make sure all changes end up in the right
     place.

   - Org mode no longer uses ChangeLog entries to document
     changes.  Instead, special commit messages are used, as
     described in the `CONTRIBUTE' file in the main Emacs
     repository.

   - Among other things, Org mode is widely appreciated because
     of its simplicity, cleanness and consistency.  We should try
     hard to preserve this and ask everyone to keep this in mind
     when developing changes.

* The contrib/ directory

The git repository contains a =contrib/= directory.  This directory
is the playing field for any developer, also people who have not
(yet) signed the papers with the FSF.  You are free to add files
to this directory, implementing extensions, new link types etc.

Also non-Lisp extensions like scripts to process Org files in
different ways are welcome in this directory.  You should provide
documentation with your extensions, at least in the form of
commentary in the file, better on worg.  Please discuss your
extensions on [[mailto:emacs-orgmode@gnu.org][emacs-orgmode@gnu.org]].

After files have been tested in =contrib/= and found to be
generally useful, we may decide to clarify copyright questions
and then move the file into the Org mode core.  This means they
will be moved up to the root directory and will also eventually
be added to GNU Emacs git repository.  The final decision about
this rests with the maintainer.