Becoming A Contributor

The Debian LTS Team is substantial, currently with 24 contributors working under the sponsorship of Freexian and numerous others contributing independently in a variety of capacities. In general, there is a considerable backlog of work, so new contributors are always welcome to the team. It is also beneficial for prospective contributors to learn about structure of the team.

All of the Freexian-sponsored contributors and the vast majority of independent contributors are experienced Debian Developers. As a result, the expected baseline level of knowledge is that of an experienced Debian Developer. The processes and procedures documented here assume a good working knowledge of Debian packaging and Debian development infrastructure. If you have an interest in contributing but find that some aspect of the policies and procedures is unclear or confusing, then reach out to the team.

Additionally, there is a monthly LTS team meeting, which all active contributors (regardless of sponsorship status) are encouraged to attend. Typical agenda items include updates on items of team-wide impact and discussions of significant upcoming changes.

What to Contribute

The types of contributions which a contributor can make to the Debian LTS project can take on a variety of forms. Those who are interested in achieving a very specific objective centered around a small number of packages or issues are likely to find targeted contributions to be ideal. Those who have a broader interest in something like “all things LTS” are likely to find themselves making general contributions.

Targeted Contributions

Targeted contributions can range from small to large, depending on numerous factors. The documentation on this site is structured in a way to be task-oriented so that contributors interested in working on a single task or a single class of tasks can easily locate the documentation specific to that sort of task. However, contributors who contribute on an infrequent basis are likely to also benefit from making use of the contributor mailing list to discuss their intended contributions with others who are actively contributing on a more frequent basis.

For a targeted contribution it may be sufficient to use the site navigation to locate the documentation pertaining to the task or type of task, become familiar with that documentation, then do the work with the help or guidance of a more experienced contributor (which can be obtained by posting to the mailing list).

General Contributions

For those who are interested in contributing in a more general way or on a more frequent basis, there are many ways to find tasks that are awaiting completion.

If your intent is to contribute in this way, then it is important to become familiar with all of the documentation on this site and to take care to claim packages and tasks in the proper way. Doing this will ensure that work is completed in a way that is compatible with how other contributors are working and also eliminates duplication of work.

How to Contribute

Regardless of the type of contribution you are interested in making, whether targeted/infrequent or general/frequent, you will need to decide whether or not you intend to seek sponsorship from Freexian for your contributions.

Contributing Independently

Making independent contributions generally requires no special permissions beyond those which any Debian Developer should possess. Whether you are making contribtions on behalf of your employer or purely as a volunteer, contributing is simply a matter of becoming familiar with the appropriate policies and procedures and then making your contributions. If you find that you lack some specific access (e.g., a certain level access in a Salsa project), then you can reach out via the contributor mailing list to request that someone perform the action on your behalf or that you be granted the access.

Contributing Under Freexian Sponsorship

If you intend to contribute regularly on a long-term basis and you have an interest in having your work sponsored by Freexian, then you should consider joining the team. Note, however, that Freexian-sponsored contributors are expected to have high qualifications and are also expected to actively contribute on an on-going basis.

Next Steps

Once you know the type of technical contribution you’d like to make and the way in which you’d like to make that contribution, it’s time to get started.