Getting involved
This document describes how one can get involved with hydrogen as a developer. Beside the technical development, you can also help us with other tasks, like maintaing the website or testing bugfixes. Just contact us via the mailling list if you're interested in such tasks.
C/C++ coding experience
QT (used only in the user interface)
Creating a Github account is free and it allows you
Open a terminal, create a new dir for the code, cd into that dir and get the code :
git clone git://github.com/hydrogen-music/hydrogen.git
Development and documentation information flows back and forth on the mailing list, so you'll want to be subscribed. Patches can also be submitted to the list (but the best way is to submit a Pull Request to the github repository which is described here : https://github.com/hydrogen-music/hydrogen/wiki/How-to-contribute-code-using-Github ).
Subscribe to the dev mailing list here
Project structure
Class details
Coding conventions
Yes Hydrogen has bugs, it's pretty solid but try some edge cases, things that other developers may not have tried, if it falls apart, doesn't give you an error message, or just gives you a wrong error message its a bug and somebody needs to fix it.
You can create a bug report on our Github bugtracker
Simple huh? Backup the source code then hack one copy around until you've fixed the bug. If you make a complete hash of things restore from your backup and start again, we all do it.
Create a pull request for your changes as it described here.
It may take a while for someone to try your patch out and commit it. We have lives and jobs too. We will get to it.
Sometimes patches get rejected. Read why it was rejected, learn the lessons, try again. It took me three attempts to get my first patch accepted but it was a lot better by take 3 then it had been at the start.
After you've had a few patches accepted you will be given commit access. There is no hard and fast rule on when this happens but keep submitting good quality patches and it will happen.
Remember that mailing list you joined.... If you're stuck, or want to understand why things are done one way and not another, or if somebodies already working on something, or any other question, or you just want to tell us how much we rock, send us a mail via hydrogen-devel@lists.sourceforge.net.
Remember, you are not alone. Stay connected with the rest of the development team. Ask questions! Don't get discouraged! We want you to be involved in Hydrogen for a long time to come.