Contributing to the Linux Health Checker
========================================

Please read this document if you would like to help improving the Linux Health
Checker. In general, all types of contributions are welcome, for example:

  * Fixes for code or documentation
  * New plug-ins for health checks or result consumers
  * Functional enhancements to the health checker framework

There are some rules that these contributions must follow to be acceptable
for inclusion:

  1. Register and become a contributor.

  2. Your contribution must align with the project goals of the Linux
     Health Checker.

  3. Your contribution must follow a particular format.

  4. Your contribution must be signed.

Once you have made sure that your contribution follows these rules,
send it via e-mail to the Linux Health Checker mailing list [1].


How to become a contributor
---------------------------
To register as a contributor, send a registration mail to the mailing list [1]
with the following content:
----
By making a contribution to this lnxhc (Linux Health Checker) project on
http://lnxhc.sourceforge.net, I certify that:

  a) The contribution was created by me and I have the right to submit it
     under the terms and conditions of the open source license
     "Eclipse Public License version 1.0"
     (http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html).

  b) The contribution is made free of any other party's intellectual property
     claims or rights.

  c) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution are public
     and that a record of the contribution (including all personal information
     I submit with it, including my sign-off) is maintained indefinitely and
     may be redistributed consistent with this project or the open source
     license(s) involved.

Signed-off-by: Your Name <your.email@example.org>
----


Project goals
-------------
The goal of the Linux Health Checker project is to provide a tool that
checks Linux systems for problems. "Problem" in this context can mean anything
from configuration errors or deviations from best practice setups to non-optimal
settings of the environment in which Linux runs. If a problem is
found, the Linux Health Checker generates a message that describes the problem
and a possible solution in detail and in a way that is understandable by system
administrators who are familiar with - but not necessarily experts in -
the problem area.

If you have an idea for a contribution but are unsure if it aligns with the
project goals, feel free to discuss the idea on the mailing list [1].


Contribution format
-------------------
To contribute a change, please create a patch using the diff utility with
the following command line options:

  diff -uprN

Add a meaningful description of the contribution to the top of the patch.
The description should follow this format:

  <component>: <short description>

  <detailed description>

  Signed-off-by: Your Name <your.email@example.org>

With your Signed-off-by, you certify the rules from your contribution
registration.
Be sure that your patch also contains an update of the "CONTRIBUTORS" file
of the lnxhc package, which lists your contribution.


References
----------
[1] lnxhc-list@lists.sourceforge.net
[2] http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
[3] http://lnxhc.sourceforge.net
