How to contribute

Note

See CONTRIBUTING.md for information on contributing to the source code.

Our documentation is hosted on Read the Docs to enable collaboration. Please use the links on each documentation page to either directly change something you see that’s wrong, ask a question, or make a suggestion about a potential change.

Our documentation is also available alongside the source code on GitHub. You may open a pull request with your documentation changes, or you can file a bug to provide constructive feedback or suggestions.

AI usage

You are free to use any tools you want while preparing your contribution, including AI, provided that you do so lawfully and ethically.

Avoid using AI to complete Canonical Open Documentation Academy issues. The purpose of these issues is to provide newcomers with opportunities to contribute to our projects and gain documentation skills. Using AI to complete these tasks undermines their purpose.

If you use AI to help with your PRs, be mindful. Avoid submitting contributions with entirely AI-generated documentation. The human aspect of documentation is important to us, and that includes tone, syntax, perspectives, and the occasional typo.

Some examples of valid AI assistance includes:

  • Checking for spelling or grammar errors

  • Drafting plans or outlines

  • Checking that your contribution aligns with the Canonical style guide

We have created instructions and tools that you can provide AI while preparing your contribution in copilot-collections. While it isn’t necessary to use copilot-collections while preparing your contribution, these files contain details about our documentation standards and practices that will help the AI avoid common pitfalls when interacting with our projects. By using these tools, you can avoid longer review times and nitpicks.

If you choose to use AI, please disclose this information to us by indicating AI usage in the PR description (for instance, marking the checklist item about AI usage). You don’t need to go into explicit details about how and where you used AI.

Avoid submitting contributions that you don’t fully understand. You are responsible for the entire contribution, including the AI-assisted portions. You must be willing to engage in discussion and respond to any questions, comments, or suggestions we may have.