# Contributing to passt

Thank you for your interest in contributing! This document explains how to prepare patches and participate in the email-based review process.

## Workflow

### 1. Clone the project

    git clone git://passt.top/passt

### 2. Create a Branch

    cd passt
    git checkout -b my-feature-branch

Work on a separate branch instead of committing directly to `master`.

### 3. Make Changes and Commit

* Edit the source code or documentation.

* Stage your changes:

        git add <file1> <file2> ...

* Commit with a clear message containing `Signed-off-by:` tag:

        git commit -s    

    Commit message format:

        Subsystem: Brief summary (max ~50 chars)

        More detailed explanation if needed, wrapped at 72 chars.

        Signed-off-by: Your Name <author@email>

    If there are some references, use "Links: " tag for simplicity.

### 4. Generate Patches

Use `git format-path` to generate patch(es):

    git format-patch origin/master

This will generate numbered patch files such as 0001-...patch, 0002-...patch, etc.

If you send a series of patches, use the `--cover-letter` option with `git format-patch`:

    git format-patch origin/main --cover-letter

This will generate a cover letter besides your patches. You can edit the cover letter before sending.

### 5. Send Patches

Use `git send-email` to send patches directly to the mailing list:

    git send-email --to=passt-dev@passt.top 000*.patch

If there are CCs (e.g. maintainers, reviewers), you can add them with `--cc`:

    git send-email --to=passt-dev@passt.top --cc=maintainer@example.com 000*.patch

### 6. Responding to Review Feedback

* Be open to feedback on both code and documentation.

* Update your patch as needed, and regenerate patches:

        git add <file1> <file2> ...
        git commit --amend
        git format-patch -v2 origin/master

* Send the revised patches

        git send-email --to=passt-dev@passt.top v2-000*.patch

### 7. Tips and Best Practices

* Keep changes focused and easy to review.

* Test your changes thoroughly.

* Include documentation updates if your change affects usage or APIs.

Thank you for helping improve passt! Your contributions make a big difference.