Contributor Quick Start

New contributors are always welcome in the hledger project. Jump in! Browse the ideas below, or say hello in the chat and we'll help find you a job.

First steps

Ideas for contributing as a ...

Visitor

  • Give feedback on the site and your impressions of the project

New user

  • Give feedback on your new user experience

Developer

Developer using the hledger libraries

  • Give feedback on your experience using the hledger packages
  • Suggest API improvements

Packager

  • Improve hledger's packaging on one or more platforms

Communicator

Marketing and market understanding is vital.

  • clarify project goals, value proposition, brand, mission, story
  • monitor product-market fit
  • identify new opportunities
  • influence developer priorities
  • spread the word!

Funder

Become a financial backer to sustain and grow this project, increase your influence, express gratitude, build prosperity consciousness, and help transform world finance!

  • Use the donate links on the home page
  • Configure a recurring donation
  • Contribute or pledge bounties on issues you care about
  • Ask your organization to contribute
  • Work on project sustainability, accountability, fundraising

Tester

  • Test installation on platforms you have access to
  • Test examples, advice, and links in the docs
  • Run the latest release or developer build in daily use
  • Run tests
  • Run benchmarks
  • Report packaging, documentation, UX, functional, performance issues
  • Report and help analyse problems via irc/mail list/bug tracker

When reporting bugs, don't forget to search the tracker for a similar bug report. Otherwise, open a new bug by clicking "New issue", or http://bugs.hledger.org/new.

Enhancement requests are sometimes added to the tracker,but for these consider using the IRC channel and mail list (see Getting help). Both are archived and linkable, so the idea won't be lost. There is also a collection of wishes at the old trello board.

Bug wrangler

Tech support provider

Technical Writer

  • get familiar with the website and documentation online, review and test
  • get familiar with the site/doc source files (see Shake.hs)
  • get the latest hledger source
  • send patches with names prefixed with "doc: " (or "site: ")

Graphics Designer

  • more/better logos & graphics
  • illustrations and diagrams
  • web design mockups for home page, site, hledger-web UI

Maintainer

Help with issue management

  • watch tracker activity, report status
  • apply/update labels where needed
  • follow up on dormant issues
  • facilitate a consistently good bug-reporting & PR-contributing experience

Help with packaging

  • package hledger for linux distros, macports, etc.
  • develop mac/windows installers
  • find and assist distro packagers/installer developers

Help with project management

  • clarify/update goals and principles
  • monitor, report on project progress and performance
  • research, compare and report on successful projects, related projects
  • identify collaboration opportunities
  • marketing, communication, outreach
  • release management, roadmap planning