Skip to content

CONTRIBUTING.MD

Latest commit

 

History

History
112 lines (73 loc) · 2.69 KB

CONTRIBUTING.MD

File metadata and controls

112 lines (73 loc) · 2.69 KB

Contributing to Atlas Linux

Thanks for your interest in contributing.
Atlas Linux is a minimal operating system built entirely from scratch - correctness, simplicity, and reproducibility are our highest priorities.

🧭 Ground Rules

  • No external runtime dependencies.
    Everything in the target system must build from source and rely only on the kernel and libc.

  • Code must compile cleanly with -Wall -Wextra -Werror and be free of undefined behaviour.
    If you're not sure about a C standard edge case, ask in your pull request.

  • Keep it small and auditable.
    Fewer moving parts are preferred over more features.

  • Portable, not pretty.
    Code should work on any x86_64 Linux toolchain with standard POSIX utilities.

🧱 Project Layout


atlas/
├─ linux/          # Linux kernel sources and config
├─ src/            # Core userland and libraries
├─ build/          # Host-side build outputs
├─ iso/            # ISO image tree
└─ docs/           # Documentation and guides

🛠️ Development Workflow

  1. Fork and clone the repository.

  2. Create a branch for your change:

    git checkout -b feature/short-description

  3. Build and test locally:

    make clean all
make run

  4. Check your diffs - small, self-contained commits are easier to review.

  5. Submit a pull request and describe:

    • What it changes.
    • Why it’s needed.
    • How you tested it.

🧩 Code Style

  • Follow K&R C with 4-space indentation.
  • Log through liblog instead of printf in system components.

🧪 Testing

  • Boot your change in QEMU before submitting.
  • Run make clean all to ensure full rebuilds work.
  • Check that /sbin/init launches correctly from both the atlas.img and the atlaslinux-x86_64.iso.

📝 Documentation

If you add a new tool, library, or subsystem:

  • Add a short markdown file under docs/.
  • Update the relevant section in guide.md or index.md.
  • Include usage examples or boot arguments if applicable.

🧹 Commit Messages

Keep them descriptive and imperative:

init: add tmpfs mount for /run
liblog: fix race in log rotation
build: use fakeroot for initramfs packing

Avoid generic messages like “update files” or “minor fix.”

💬 Getting Help

Open a draft PR or discussion if:

  • You’re unsure about design choices.
  • You want review on architecture or code layout before implementing.
  • You found a kernel interaction or boot quirk worth documenting.

Atlas Linux is a small system with big ambitions. Every contribution - even documentation or cleanup - helps keep it simple, transparent, and yours.