Getting started guide for new contributors

Signed-off-by: Siobhan McKeown <siobhan.mckeown@gmail.com>
2025-09-06 01:50:22 +08:00 · 2025-06-05 14:23:09 +01:00 · 2025-06-05 14:23:09 +01:00 · 638f0b1ac8
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+# Welcome to the FAIR Package Manager Project!
+
+We’re happy that you’re here and that you’d like to contribute to the project. This guide will get you started!
+
+---
+
+## 📌 Step 1: Read the Contribution Guidelines
+
+Start by reading our [main guide for contributors](/../contributing.md).
+This document outlines the code of conduct, the TSC structure, governance and voting, code signing, and other stuff you should know about the project. Before getting involved, it’s important that you read through our [Code of Conduct](/../code-of-conduct.md) as all contributors agree to follow it.
+
+---
+
+## 🧭 Step 2: Learn about the project
+
+To help orientate yourself you should learn a bit about the project.
+
+- Review the [Contribution agreement](https://developercertificate.org/)
+
+Every contribution is made under our contribution agreement. You should read through this before making your first contribution!
+
+- Learn about active [working groups](https://github.com/fairpm/tsc/tree/main/working-groups)
+
+Our working groups are where the work happens! Learn which ones are currently active.
+
+---
+
+## 🙌 Step 3: Join the Community
+
+We are a community of open source contributors, including everything from documentarians to community managers to developers to translators to designers to event organisers and everything in between. Our goal is to create a diverse, welcoming and safe community where everyone involved can scratch their particular itch. We would love to get to know more about you and for you to get to know more about the project. Here’s how:
+
+- Introduce yourself in our [Github Discussions forum](https://github.com/orgs/fairpm/discussions/1).
+- Attend any contributor meetings or calls (if applicable)
+- Join our mailing list to subscribe to updates.
+
+---
+
+##  📚 Step 4: Choose how you want to contribute
+
+You can contribute to FAIR in multiple ways, just select what best fits your interest(s) and skills. If you're unsure how to contribute or where your interests and skills would have the greatest impact, head over to the introduce yourself thread on Github Discussions, introduce yourself and ask for some direction.
+
+---
+
+## 🧑‍💻 Code Contributions
+
+Code contributors implement new features, fix bugs, refactor code, and make performance improvements.
+
+### ✅ Getting Started
+
+- Set up the environment
+- Follow the setup instructions in the README.md or a dedicated setup guide.
+
+- Understand the project structure
+- Refer to the docs/architecture.md if available.
+
+- Review the coding standards and linting rules [link]
+  Refer to these early to avoid having to refactor your code!
+
+- Pick a good first issue
+  Browse the issue tracker with the good first issue label. Every repo in the organisation has one. You can find the central TSC one here.
+
+- Introduce yourself
+  Comment on an issue that you want to help out with.
+  Ask questions if you need any clarification.
+
+### 🔨 Development Workflow
+
+- Fork the repository
+- Clone your fork
+- Create a feature branch: `git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature`
+- Write clean, documented, and tested code that complies with coding standards
+- Run existing test suites
+- Open a pull request (PR)
+- Participate in the code review
+
+### 🧪 Additional Guidance
+
+- Include unit/integration tests where applicable
+- Reference related issues in your PR description
+- You can find PR and Issue templates at LINK [<----- NEEDS docs and link]
+
+---
+
+## 📝 Docs, support, design, translations
+
+Contributing is definitely not just about writing code. There are loads of ways to contribute to FAIR, for example contributions to documentation, translations, and community engagement.
+
+### 📚 Documentation
+
+- Improve existing docs
+  - Identify typos, unclear instructions, or outdated content
+  - Write missing or new documentation
+- To find docs to work on look for the needs-docs tag or look for a [documentation issue in the issue tracker](https://github.com/fairpm/tsc/issues).
+  - Write tutorials, guides, FAQs, or architecture overviews
+  - Create contribution documentation
+  - As well as docs for the software, we need new docs or improvements to docs to make it easy for contributors to get involved.
+
+- Submit via PRs
+  - Docs are usually in the docs/ directory or inline in the codebase
+
+### 🌐 Translations
+
+- Define and document our approach to translations.
+- Coordinate with the TSC on localization needs
+- Translate and support others to translate!
+
+### 📣 Community Support
+
+- Answer questions in GitHub Discussions.
+- Help triage issues by labeling or reproducing bugs.
+
+### 🎨 Design & UX
+
+- Share mockups or improvements for UI/UX.
+- Provide assets like logos or icons via issues or PRs.
+- Help with designing the new FAIR website (coming soon!).
+
+---
+
+## 🧠 Step 4: Learn and Grow
+
+- Review the CONTRIBUTING.md for continuous reference
+- Ask for feedback and iterate
+- Give feedback and collaborate!
+
+---
+
+## 🏁 Final Notes
+
+We are in the early (and exciting!) phase of this open source project. Over the coming weeks and months we’ll be building out our infrastructure, including our website, forums or Slack, and increasing our working groups if we need them.
+
+In the meantime, here are some useful things to know:
+
+- The FAIR Package Manager Project is a project of the Linux Foundation and we are immensely grateful for the LF’s support in our formation. We feel privileged to be working under the LF umbrella and are excited to see how we can make the most of their infrastructure and support to grow the project.
+
+- The project is governed by the Technical Steering Committee (TSC). The TSC is made up of all contributors to the project, whether the individual contributor is technical or not. We have three co-chairs who keep the project on track and moving forwards (thanks!).
+
+- All contributors are expected to follow our [Code of Conduct](/../code-of-conduct.md). You should read through this and always remember to treat each other with respect, be collaborative, be open to feedback, and have fun!.
+
+- Every contribution matters, whether that is a documentation update, a line of code, a bug fix, an issue opened, participating in a working group, or even a post on your in blog in support of the project. However you contribute, let’s celebrate it!
+
+We encourage everyone to learn more about the Linux Foundation and our governance structure, to [sign up to our email list](https://lists.fair.pm/g/news) for updates, and get involved!