Contributing to Aegir CMS

Aegir CMS is an Open Source project that welcomes contributions from the community. Whether you're a developer, designer, writer, or user, there are many ways to help make Aegir CMS better.

Ways to Contribute

Code Development

Help improve Aegir CMS by contributing code:

• Fix bugs reported in the bug tracker
• Implement new features
• Improve existing functionality
• Optimize performance
• Enhance security

See the Development page for information on accessing the source code and development practices.

Testing

Help ensure quality by testing Aegir CMS:

• Test beta releases and report issues
• Try nightly builds and provide feedback
• Verify bug fixes
• Test on different platforms and configurations
• Perform security testing

Translation

Make Aegir CMS available in more languages:

• Translate the interface to your language
• Maintain and update existing translations
• Review and improve translation quality
• Translate documentation

See the Translation Instructions for details.

Documentation

Help users and developers by improving documentation:

• Write tutorials and how-to guides
• Create video demonstrations
• Update existing documentation
• Write API documentation
• Translate documentation to other languages

Design

Contribute design improvements:

• Improve user interface design
• Create themes and templates
• Design icons and graphics
• Enhance usability

Support

Help other users succeed with Aegir CMS:

• Answer questions on the mailing list
• Help users in the IRC channel (#aegir on irc.freenode.net)
• Write blog posts and tutorials
• Share your experiences

Advocacy

Help spread the word about Aegir CMS:

• Write blog posts about Aegir CMS
• Present at conferences and user groups
• Share success stories
• Recommend Aegir CMS to others

Getting Started

For Developers

1. Download and install Aegir CMS to familiarize yourself with it
2. Check out the source code from CVS
3. Subscribe to the nadmin-dev mailing list
4. Review the bug tracker for issues marked as "easy" or "newbie"
5. Introduce yourself on the mailing list
6. Start with small contributions to learn the codebase

For Translators

1. Review the Translation Instructions
2. Download the translation files
3. Translate the strings to your language
4. Test your translation in a working installation
5. Submit your translation to the mailing list

For Testers

1. Download the latest release or nightly build
2. Set up a test environment
3. Test functionality systematically
4. Report any issues in the bug tracker
5. Provide detailed information for reproducing problems

Contribution Guidelines

Code Contributions

• Follow the existing code style and conventions
• Write clear, commented code
• Test your changes thoroughly
• Submit patches through the mailing list or bug tracker
• Include a description of what your patch does

Bug Reports

• Search for existing reports before creating a new one
• Provide a clear, descriptive title
• Include steps to reproduce the issue
• Specify your system configuration
• Include relevant error messages or logs

Communication

• Be respectful and professional
• Be patient - everyone is volunteering their time
• Stay constructive in discussions
• Accept feedback gracefully
• Ask questions when you're unsure

Recognition

Contributors to Aegir CMS are recognized in several ways:

• Credits in release announcements
• Mention in documentation and websites
• Community appreciation and gratitude
• CVS commit access for regular contributors

Resources

• Development page - CVS access, bug tracker
• Mailing lists - Communication channels
• Documentation - Technical documentation
• Nightly builds - Testing versions

Questions?

If you have questions about contributing to Aegir CMS, please contact us:

• Mailing list: [email protected]
• IRC: #aegir on irc.freenode.net

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Aegir CMS!