osscontributing

name	ossContributing
description	Use when: writing or reviewing OSS contributing guidance, CONTRIBUTING.md structure, DCO/CLA guidance, or contributor onboarding checklists.
type	reference
version	1.0
license	MIT

ossContributing

Skill metadata: version "1.0"; tags [oss, contributing, dco]; recommended tools [].

Use this skill when a user asks about contribution workflows, CONTRIBUTING.md structure, or how to prepare a first contribution to an open-source project.

When to use

• Answering questions about contribution workflows, CONTRIBUTING.md structure, or preparing a first contribution to an open-source project

When NOT to use

• When reviewing a specific open PR — prefer ossCodeReview
• When handling licensing questions — prefer ossLicensing

CONTRIBUTING.md structure

A complete CONTRIBUTING.md should cover these sections in order:

Section	Required	Purpose
Code of Conduct reference	Yes	Link to CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md or inline CoC
Getting started	Yes	Fork, clone, branch naming, local setup
Development workflow	Yes	How to build, test, lint before opening a PR
Commit message format	Yes	Conventional Commits or project-specific format
Pull request checklist	Yes	What a PR must include before review
DCO / CLA	If applicable	Sign-off requirement or contributor license
Release process	Recommended	How maintainers tag and publish releases
Issue reporting	Recommended	Bug report template link, reproduction steps expectation

Branch naming convention (recommend)

feat/<short-description>
fix/<issue-number>-<short-description>
docs/<topic>
chore/<task>

Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO)

If the project uses DCO instead of a CLA, every commit must include a sign-off line:

Signed-off-by: Name <[e-mail]>

Add it automatically with: git commit --signoff

Verify with: git log -n 5 --pretty=full — confirm each commit message body includes a Signed-off-by: trailer.

PR checklist (recommend including in PR template)

• Tests added or updated for changed behavior
• Documentation updated if public API changed
• Changelog entry added under ## [Unreleased]
• No new lint warnings introduced
• DCO sign-off present on all commits (if required)

Onboarding checklist for a first contributor

1. Fork and clone the repo.
2. Run git remote add upstream <project-url> to track the source.
3. Create a branch: git checkout -b feat/my-change.
4. Make changes; run tests before pushing.
5. Open a PR against the project's default branch (usually main or develop).
6. Address review feedback with additional commits (do not force-push unless asked).
7. Squash or rebase when the maintainer requests it.

Verify

• CONTRIBUTING.md covers all required sections (Code of Conduct, Getting started, Workflow, Commit format, PR checklist)
• DCO or CLA requirements stated; contributor onboarding checklist present