diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..39a6655947c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# VisIt
+
+[![Documentation Status](https://readthedocs.org/projects/visit-sphinx-github-user-manual/badge/?version=latest)](http://visit-sphinx-github-user-manual.readthedocs.io)
+
+Project Website: https://visit.llnl.gov
+
+Source code repository for the VisIt Scientific Visualization and Data Analysis Application
+
+##  User Resources
+
+VisIt Users Wiki: https://www.visitusers.org
+
+VisIt Users Manual: https://visit-sphinx-user-manual.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html
+
+VisIt Python Manual: https://visit-sphinx-python-manual.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
+
+##  Developer Resources
+
+Github Development Info: https://visitusers.org/index.php?title=Github
+
+
diff --git a/scripts/git-hooks/install-hooks.sh b/scripts/git-hooks/install-hooks.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..c3e74fea274
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/git-hooks/install-hooks.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Install client-side hooks
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+basedir=`git rev-parse --show-toplevel`
+hooksdir="$basedir/.git/hooks/"
+cp -v $basedir/scripts/git-hooks/pre-commit $hooksdir
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/git-hooks/pre-commit b/scripts/git-hooks/pre-commit
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..ddc782a6cb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/git-hooks/pre-commit
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+branch="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)"
+
+if [ "$branch" == "develop" ]; then
+  echo "ERROR: You can't commit directly to the develop branch. Please do work on a feature branch."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ $branch == *RC ]]; then
+  echo "ERROR: You can't commit directly to a RC branch. Please do work on a feature branch."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
diff --git a/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_data.sh b/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_data.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..6fb7e9800f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_data.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+git lfs pull --include="data/*"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_sdt.sh b/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_sdt.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..f05778ee23c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_sdt.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+git lfs pull --include="src/*,data/*,test/*"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_src.sh b/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_src.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..01f8d56f8a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_src.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+git lfs pull --include="src/*"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_test.sh b/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..aa535e36e5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/sh_git_lfs_pull_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+git lfs pull --include="test/*"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/doc/conf.py b/src/doc/conf.py
index da544afeac2..ec05973d1b1 100644
--- a/src/doc/conf.py
+++ b/src/doc/conf.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
 
 # The theme to use for HTML and HTML Help pages.  See the documentation for
 # a list of builtin themes.
-html_theme = 'sphinx_rtd_theme'
+#html_theme = 'sphinx_rtd_theme'
 
 # Theme options are theme-specific and customize the look and feel of a theme
 # further.  For a list of options available for each theme, see the
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@
 #html_theme_options = {}
 
 # Add any paths that contain custom themes here, relative to this directory.
-html_theme_path = ["_themes"]
+#html_theme_path = ["_themes"]
 
 # The name for this set of Sphinx documents.
 # "<project> v<release> documentation" by default.
diff --git a/src/resources/github_usernames.txt b/src/resources/github_usernames.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e43ac340957
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/resources/github_usernames.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+biagas, Kathleen Biagas, LLNL
+brugger, Eric Brugger, LLNL
+cyrush, Cyrus Harrison, LLNL
+rusu1, Eddie Rusu, LLNL