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CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# CONTRIBUTING
+
+The node.js project welcomes new contributors.  This document will guide you
+through the process.
+
+
+### FORK
+
+Fork the project [on GitHub](https://github.com/joyent/node) and check out
+your copy.
+
+```
+$ git clone git@github.com:username/node.git
+$ cd node
+$ git remote add upstream git://github.com/joyent/node.git
+```
+
+Now decide if you want your feature or bug fix to go into the master branch
+or the stable branch.  As a rule of thumb, bug fixes go into the stable branch
+while new features go into the master branch.
+
+The stable branch is effectively frozen; patches that change the node.js
+API/ABI or affect the run-time behavior of applications get rejected.
+
+The rules for the master branch are less strict; consult the
+[stability index page][] for details.
+
+In a nutshell, modules are at varying levels of API stability.  Bug fixes are
+always welcome but API or behavioral  changes to modules at stability level 3
+and up are off-limits.
+
+Node.js has several bundled dependencies in the deps/ directory that are not
+part of the project proper.  Any changes to files in that directory or its
+subdirectories should be sent to their respective projects.  Do not send
+that patch to us, we cannot accept it.
+
+In case of doubt, open an issue in the [issue tracker][], post your question
+to the [node.js mailing list][] or contact one of the [project maintainers][]
+on [IRC][].
+
+Especially do so if you plan to work on something big.  Nothing is more
+frustrating than seeing your hard work go to waste because your vision
+does not align with that of a project maintainer.
+
+
+### BRANCH
+
+Okay, so you have decided on the proper branch.  Create a feature branch
+and start hacking:
+
+```
+$ git checkout -b my-feature-branch -t origin/v0.8
+```
+
+(Where v0.8 is the latest stable branch as of this writing.)
+
+
+### COMMIT
+
+Make sure git knows your name and email address:
+
+```
+$ git config --global user.name "J. Random User"
+$ git config --global user.email "j.random.user@example.com"
+```
+
+Writing good commit logs is important.  A commit log should describe what
+changed and why.  Follow these guidelines when writing one:
+
+1. The first line should be 50 characters or less and contain a short
+   description of the change.
+2. Keep the second line blank.
+3. Wrap all other lines at 72 columns.
+
+A good commit log looks like this:
+
+```
+Header line: explaining the commit in one line
+
+Body of commit message is a few lines of text, explaining things
+in more detail, possibly giving some background about the issue
+being fixed, etc etc.
+
+The body of the commit message can be several paragraphs, and
+please do proper word-wrap and keep columns shorter than about
+72 characters or so. That way `git log` will show things
+nicely even when it is indented.
+```
+
+The header line should be meaningful; it is what other people see when they
+run `git shortlog` or `git log --oneline`.
+
+Have a look at `git log` for inspiration.
+
+
+### REBASE
+
+Use `git rebase` (not `git merge`) to sync your work from time to time.
+
+```
+$ git fetch upstream
+$ git rebase upstream/v0.8  # or upstream/master
+```
+
+
+### TEST
+
+Bug fixes and features should come with tests.  Add your tests in the
+test/simple/ directory.  Look at other tests to see how they should be
+structured (license boilerplate, common includes, etc.).
+
+```
+$ make jslint test
+```
+
+Make sure the linter is happy and that all tests pass.  Please, do not submit
+patches that fail either check.
+
+
+### PUSH
+
+```
+$ git push origin my-feature-branch
+```
+
+Go to https://github.com/username/node and select your feature branch.  Click
+the 'Pull Request' button and fill out the form.
+
+Pull requests are usually reviewed within a few days.  If there are comments
+to address, apply your changes in a separate commit and push that to your
+feature branch.  Post a comment in the pull request afterwards; GitHub does
+not send out notifications when you add commits.
+
+
+### CONTRIBUTOR LICENSE AGREEMENT
+
+Please visit http://nodejs.org/cla.html and sign the Contributor License
+Agreement.  You only need to do that once.
+
+
+[stability index page]: https://github.com/joyent/node/blob/master/doc/api/documentation.markdown
+[issue tracker]: https://github.com/joyent/node/issues
+[node.js mailing list]: http://groups.google.com/group/nodejs
+[IRC]: http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=node.js
+[project maintainers]: https://github.com/joyent/node/wiki/Project-Organization