1 @c -*- coding: utf-8; mode: texinfo; -*-
3 @include included/helpus.itexi
5 @node Introduction to contributing
6 @chapter Introduction to contributing
8 This chapter presents a quick overview of ways that people can
13 * Overview of work flow::
29 @node Overview of work flow
30 @section Overview of work flow
33 @strong{Ultra-short summary for Unix developers}: source code is at
34 @code{git://git.sv.gnu.org/lilypond.git}. Documentation is built
35 with Texinfo, after pre-processing with @code{lilypond-book}.
36 Send well-formed patches to @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}.
39 Git is a @emph{version control system} that tracks the history of
40 a program's source code. The LilyPond source code is maintained
41 as a Git repository, which contains:
45 all of the source files needed to build LilyPond, and
48 a record of the entire history of every change made to every file
49 since the program was born.
52 The @q{official} LilyPond Git repository is hosted by the GNU
53 Savannah software forge at @uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org}.
54 Although, since Git uses a @emph{distributed} model, technically
55 there is no central repository. Instead, each contributor keeps a
56 complete copy of the entire repository (about 116M).
58 Changes made within one contributor's copy of the repository can
59 be shared with other contributors using @emph{patches}. A patch
60 is a simple text file generated by the @command{git} program that
61 indicates what changes have been made (using a special format).
62 If a contributor's patch is approved for inclusion (usually
63 through the mailing list), someone on the current development team
64 will @emph{push} the patch to the official repository.
66 The Savannah software forge provides two separate interfaces for
67 viewing the LilyPond Git repository online: @emph{cgit} and
68 @emph{gitweb}. The cgit interface should work faster than gitweb
69 in most situations, but only gitweb allows you to search through
70 the source code using @command{grep}, which you may find useful.
71 The cgit interface is at
72 @uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org/cgit/lilypond.git/} and the gitweb
74 @uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=lilypond.git}.
76 Git is a complex and powerful tool, but tends to be confusing at
77 first, particularly for users not familiar with the command line
78 and/or version control systems. Contributors who don't want to
79 deal with Git directly are encouraged to use the
80 @command{lily-git} graphical user interface instead.
82 @emph{Compiling} (@q{building}) LilyPond allows developers to see
83 how changes to the source code affect the program itself.
84 Compiling is also needed to package the program for specific
85 operating systems or distributions. LilyPond can be compiled from
86 a local Git repository (for developers), or from a downloaded
87 tarball (for packagers). Compiling LilyPond is a rather involved
88 process, and most contributor tasks do not require it.
90 Contributors can contact the developers through the
91 @q{lilypond-devel} mailing list. The mailing list archive is
93 @uref{http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/}. If you
94 have a question for the developers, search the archives first to
95 see if the issue has already been discussed. Otherwise, send an
96 email to @email{lilypond-devel@@gnu.org}. You can subscribe to
97 the developers' mailing list here:
98 @uref{http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-devel}.
100 @warning{Contributors on Windows or MacOS X wishing to compile
101 code or documentation are strongly advised to use @ref{Lilybuntu}
102 instead of trying to install all software dependencies
109 It is not possible to compile LilyPond on Windows, and extremely
110 difficulty to compile it on MacOS X. We have therefore made a
111 @q{remix} of Ubuntu which includes all necessary dependencies to
112 compile both LilyPond and the documentation. This can be run
113 inside a virtual machine without disturbing your main operating
118 Install some virtualization software.
120 Any virtualization tool can be used, but we recommend VirtualBox:
123 @uref{http://@/www.virtualbox.org/@/wiki/@/Downloads}
126 In virtualization terminology, your main operating system is the
130 Download the @file{lilybuntu2.iso} disk image:
133 @uref{http://files.lilynet.net/lilybuntu2.iso}
136 @advanced{There is a md5sum available:
137 @uref{http://files.lilynet.net/lilybuntu2.iso.md5}}
140 Install @file{lilybuntu2.iso} as the @qq{guest} operating system
141 on your virtualized system.
146 If possible, use at least 700 MB of RAM (1GB would be better) for
147 the virtual machine, and use @qq{dynamically expanding storage}
148 for the virtual hard drive. A complete compile of everything
149 (code, docs, regression tests) can reach 10 GB.
152 When @file{lilybuntu2.iso} boots, it shows an ISOLINUX
153 @code{boot:} prompt. Type:
160 At the @qq{Prepare disk space} stage, do not be afraid to select
161 @qq{Erase and use the entire disk}, since this refers to your
162 @emph{virtual disk}, not your machine's actual hard drive.
165 After restarting your system, if you see the ISOLINUX @code{boot:}
167 @w{Devices@arrow{}CD/DVD Devices@arrow{}} and @emph{de-select}
168 the @q{lilybuntu2.iso} option, then reboot.
173 The latest version of lilybuntu is based on Ubuntu 10.04.1; if you
174 encounter any difficulties installing it, search for one of the
175 many tutorials for installing that particular version of Ubuntu as
176 a client operating system.
180 Do any extra configuration for your virtualization software.
182 VirtualBox has extra @qq{guest additions} which can make the
183 virtualization easier to use (full-screen, easy file sharing
184 between host and client operating systems, shared clipboards,
190 From the @code{Devices} menu of VirtualBox, select @code{Install
194 From the @code{Places} menu of Ubuntu, select
195 @code{VBOXADDITIONS_}. A file-system window will open.
198 Double-click on the @file{autorun.sh} file, then select @qq{Run in
199 Terminal}, and enter your password when prompted.
202 Once the script is finished, reboot your Virtual Machine to
203 complete the installation.
205 @advanced{If you do any kernel upgrades, you may need to re-run
206 these VBOXADDITIONS instructions.}
210 If you use other virutalization software, then follow the normal
211 procedures for your virtualization software with Ubuntu as the
214 @advanced{not all hardware is supported in all virtualization
215 tools. In particular, some contributors have reported problems
216 with USB devices. If you would like to investigate further, then
217 look for help for your virtualization tool using your normal OS as
218 the @qq{host} and Ubuntu as the @qq{client}.}
222 If you are not familiar with Linux, it may be beneficial to read a
223 couple of @qq{introduction to Ubuntu} webpages.
227 One particular change from Windows and MacOS X is that most
228 software should be installed with your @qq{package manager}; this
229 vastly simplifies the process of installing and configuring
231 @w{System@arrow{}Administration@arrow{}Synaptic Package Manager}.
234 The rest of this manual assumes that you are using the
236 @w{Applications@arrow{}Accessories@arrow{}Terminal}.
240 You should now progress to @ref{Using lily-git}.
246 We have a semi-formal system of mentorship, similar to the
247 medieval @qq{journeyman/master} training system. New contributors
248 will have a dedicated mentor to help them @qq{learn the ropes}.
250 @warning{This is subject to the availability of mentors; certain
251 jobs have more potential mentors than others.}
253 @subheading Contributor responsibilities
258 Ask your mentor which sections of the CG you should read.
261 If you get stuck for longer than 10 minutes, ask your mentor.
262 They might not be able to help you with all problems, but we find
263 that new contributors often get stuck with something that could be
264 solved/explained with 2 or 3 sentences from a mentor.
267 Send patches to your mentor for initial comments.
270 Inform your mentor if you're going to be away for a month, or if
271 you leave entirely. Contributing to lilypond isn't for everybody;
272 just let your mentor know so that we can reassign that work to
276 Inform your mentor if you're willing to do more work -- we always
277 have way more work than we have helpers available. We try to
278 avoid overwhelming new contributors, so you'll be given less work
279 than we think you can handle.
284 @subheading Mentor responsibilities
289 Respond to questions from your contributor(s) promptly, even if
290 the response is just @qq{sorry, I don't know} or @qq{sorry, I'm
291 very busy for the next 3 days; I'll get back to you then}. Make
292 sure they feel valued.
295 Inform your contributor(s) about the expected turnaround for your
296 emails -- do you work on lilypond every day, or every weekend, or
297 what? Also, if you'll be unavailable for longer than usual (say,
298 if you normally reply within 24 hours, but you'll be at a
299 conference for a week), let your contributors know. Again, make
300 sure they feel valued, and that your silence (if they ask a
301 question during that period) isn't their fault.
304 Inform your contributor(s) if they need to do anything unusual for
305 the builds, such as doing a @qq{make clean / doc-clean} or
306 switching git branches (not expected, but just in case...)
309 You don't need to be able to completely approve patches. Make
310 sure the patch meets whatever you know of the guidelines (for doc
311 style, code indentation, whatever), and then send it on to the
312 frog list or -devel for more comments. If you feel confident
313 about the patch, you can push it directly (this is mainly intended
314 for docs and translations; code patches should almost always go to
315 -devel before being pushed).
318 Keep track of patches from your contributor. If you've sent a
319 patch to -devel, it's your responsibility to pester people to get
320 comments for it, or at very least add it to the google tracker.