[[File:Mascot 20140702 konqui-group.png|thumbnail|right|[[Konqi]] and KDE dragons of different abilities!]]
[[File:Mascot 20140702 konqui-group.png|thumbnail|right|[[Konqi]] and KDE dragons of different abilities!]]
Welcome to the KDE Community. By joining our team, you will be part of an international effort by thousands of people working to deliver a stunning Free Software computing experience. You will meet new friends, learn new skills and make a difference to millions of users while working with people from all around the globe.
Welcome to the KDE Community! By joining our team, you will be part of an international effort by thousands of people working to deliver a stunning Free Software computing experience. You will meet new friends, learn new skills and make a difference to millions of users while working with people from all around the globe. This page will give you a brief introduction to things everyone in KDE should know, and help you get started with contributing.
There are many different ways you can become part of KDE. You might want to translate software into your own language, create beautiful artwork, write code or report bugs, to name just a few things you could do. You might even have an existing project you want to bring into the KDE family. This page will give you a brief introduction to things everyone in KDE should know, and help you get started with contributing.
We want to make sure that the KDE Community remains a welcoming and friendly place where people can feel comfortable. We ask you to abide by the [https://www.kde.org/code-of-conduct/ KDE Community Code of Conduct] when interacting with the rest of the KDE Community.
==Code of Conduct==
We want to make sure the KDE Community is, and remains, a welcoming and friendly place that people feel comfortable in. One way we try to achieve this is with the [https://www.kde.org/code-of-conduct/ KDE Community Code of Conduct], which we ask you to abide by when interacting with the rest of the KDE Community.
==Getting in touch==
Part of being in a community is talking to the other members. In KDE, the main channels of communication are <abbr title="Internet Relay Chat">IRC</abbr> (a realtime text communication system), the [http://forum.kde.org/ forums] and [https://www.kde.org/support/#mailinglists mailing lists].
To communicate over IRC, you will need a way to connect to the [http://freenode.net/ freenode IRC network]. We suggest [https://konversation.kde.org/ Konversation] (see the [https://docs.kde.org/trunk5/en/extragear-network/konversation/index.html handbook] for help in setting it up), although a convenient alternative if you want to get going quickly is freenode's [http://webchat.freenode.net/ online webchat]. You will need to choose a ''nick'' (the name you appear on the network as), [http://freenode.net/using_the_network.shtml connect to freenode] and join a channel. [irc://irc.kde.org/kde #kde] is a good first channel to join. This is the central channel for users and contributors to communicate, but most teams will have their own channel.
A good mailing list to subscribe to as a new member of the KDE Community is [https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-community kde-community] (you will need to subscribe before you can send emails to the list).
The links in the [[#Ways to contribute]] section will take you to pages with more specific information, including how to get in touch with specific teams.
==Mentoring==
KDE has a variety of programmes to introduce new contributors to KDE. These include external programmes that we participate in like the [[GSoC|Google Summer of Code]] and the [[OutreachProgramForWomen|Outreach Program for Women]], as well as KDE's own programmes, such as [[SoK|Season of KDE]]. We also maintain an informal list of people who are willing to help out any newcomers. You can find an overview on the [[Mentoring]] page.
==Existing projects==
If you have a project already that you want to bring into KDE, we have an incubation programme to help make that happen. You can find all about it at the [[Incubator]] page.
==Ways to contribute==
==Ways to contribute==
KDE uses [https://phabricator.kde.org Phabricator], a task management system. It is written in php (hence the ph) and structured as a collection of applications, most of which take the form of web modules. These modules can be seen on the left hand side of the KDE Phabricator, with names like Differential, Maniphest, and Phriction.
If you don't have a Phabricator account, you can [https://identity.kde.org sign up for one here]. At the Phabricator login screen, enter that username and password in the "Login or Register with LDAP," which is the lower form.
===[[/development|Development]] [[File:Konqui dev close cropped.png|right|x120px|]]===
===[[/development|Development]] [[File:Konqui dev close cropped.png|right|x120px|]]===
By becoming a developer in the KDE community, you can affect millions by improving world-class software used around the globe. You'll learn portable, industry-standard skills like C++, Qt, and CMake, and collaborate with people from all around the world. It's a challenging and fun experience. [[/development|Find out more about becoming a KDE developer]].
By becoming a developer in the KDE community, you can make a big difference while enjoying a challenging and fun experience. You'll learn to be a better coder, you will get to implement new features, defeat daunting bugs and create stunning products, all the while collaborating with people from all around the world. [[/development|Find out more about becoming a KDE developer]].
===[[/translation|Translation]]===
===[[/translation|Translation]]===
Are you fluent in multiple languages? By contributing your translations of the text in the user interfaces of KDE software, you can make it more pleasant for you to use, and open it up to millions of potential new users. [[/translation|Find out more about becoming a KDE translator]].
Are you fluent in multiple languages? By contributing your translations of the text in the user interfaces of KDE software, you can make it more pleasant for you to use, and open it up to millions of potential new users. [[/translation|Find out more about becoming a KDE translator]].
===[[/design|Visual and Human Interface Design]] [[File:Konqui artistic cropped.png|right|x120px|]]===
===[[/design|Visual and Human Interface Design]] [[File:Konqui artistic cropped.png|right|x120px|]]===
Whether you are an artist, a designer, or just someone with an interest in how people interact with software, the KDE community needs you! The VDG makes KDE software both beautiful and usable by helping teams design and refine their user interfaces. This includes creating icons and themes, as well as thinking and researching how to help users do what they are trying to do. By joining this team, you can help make KDE's users happier and more productive. [[/design|Find out more about joining the VDG]].
Whether you are an artist, a designer, or just someone with an interest in how people interact with software, the KDE community needs you! The VDG help make KDE software both beautiful and usable by helping teams design their user interfaces. This includes creating icons and themes, as well as thinking and researching how to help users do what they are trying to do, instead of getting in the way. By joining this team, you can help make software that makes users happy, and those around them jealous. [[/design|Find out more about joining the VDG]].
Even with the best-designed software, users will need documentation to help them do what they want and get the most out of it. The KDE Community values good-quality documentation, and those who write it. The work of this team has one of the biggest impacts on end-users. [[/documentation|Find out more about joining the KDE documentation team]].
Even with the best-designed software, users will need documentation to help them do what they want and get the most out of it. The KDE Community values good-quality documentation, and those who write it. The work of this team has one of the biggest impacts on end-users. [[/documentation|Find out more about joining the KDE documentation team]].
Do you know how to get the word out on the street? Marketing and promotion of KDE is done through a mostly grassroots effort. By being a part of the team, you will be spreading the word of KDE to people that would not otherwise have heard of the amazing things we make. You'll be part of a great team of people who are moving the world! [[/promotion|Find out more about spreading the word about KDE]].
Do you know how to get the word out on the street? Marketing and promotion of KDE is done through a mostly grassroots effort. By being a part of the team, you will be spreading the word of KDE to people that would not otherwise have heard of the amazing things we make. You'll be part of a great team of people who are moving the world! [[/promotion|Find out more about spreading the word about KDE]].
===[[/accessibility|Accessibility]]===
===[[/accessibility|Accessibility]]===
Part of reaching as wide an audience as possible includes making KDE software easy to use for people with visual, auditory and motor disabilities. This is an important area that unfortunately does not get as much love as it deserves. Whether you are familiar with the techniques and technologies involved in this or are just keen to help out, your help will be enthusiastically welcomed. [[/accessibility|Find out more about making KDE software more accessible]].
Part of reaching as wide an audience as possible includes making KDE software easy to use for people with visual, auditory and motor disabilities. This is an important area that unfortunately does not get as much love as it deserves. Whether you are familiar with the techniques and technologies involved in this or are just keen to help out, your help will be enthusiastically welcomed. [[/accessibility|Find out more about making KDE software more accessible]].
The KDE BugSquad is the first line of attack for bugs. By keeping track of incoming bug reports, verifying them, improving them and cleaning them up, you will help developers figure out what bugs they need to work on and help them get the information they need to fix them. You don't need any programming experience to participate, but experience has shown that members of this team often learn a lot in the course of dealing with bug reports, and many move on to developing the software itself. Triaging bugs is a perfect introduction if you want to eventually become a developer but don't feel like your programming experience is good enough yet. [[/bugs|Find out more about helping squash bugs in KDE software]].
===[[incubator | Add your project to KDE]]===
If you have a project already that you want to bring into KDE, we have an incubation programme to help make that happen. [[incubator | Find out more about making your software a KDE project]].
==Getting in touch and working together==
Part of being in a community is talking to the other members. KDE members use a variety of different venues to communicate, depending on the topic.
* '''To track work''', such as offering a patch for review, updating a website, or coordinating a promotional campaign, KDE uses [https://phabricator.kde.org Phabricator]. Sign into Phabricator with the username and password for your identity.kde.org account; if you don't have one, [https://identity.kde.org sign up for one here]! Then to to https://phabricator.kde.org, click the "Log In" button at the top of the page, and the username and password for your KDE Identity account.
* '''To start a short, goal-driven discussion''', use [[Internet Relay Chat]] or [[Telegram]], depending on your preference.
* '''To start a long-term, open-ended discussion''', [https://www.kde.org/support/#mailinglists mailing lists] are best. You don't need to subscribe to them all; just a few will do. A good mailing list to subscribe to as a new member of the KDE Community is [https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-community kde-community]. You will need to subscribe before you can send emails to the list.
The KDE BugSquad is the first line of attack for bugs. By keeping track of incoming bug reports, verifying them, improving them and cleaning them up, you will help developers figure out what bugs they need to work on and help them get the information they need to fix them. You don't need any coding knowledge to participate, but experience has shown that members of this team often learn a lot in the course of dealing with bug reports, and many move on to developing the software itself. [[/bugs|Find out more about helping squash bugs in KDE software]].
The links in the [[#Ways to contribute]] section will take you to pages with more specific information, including how to get in touch with specific teams.
==Mentoring==
KDE has a variety of programmes to introduce new contributors to KDE. These include external programmes that we participate in like the [[GSoC|Google Summer of Code]] and the [[OutreachProgramForWomen|Outreach Program for Women]], as well as KDE's own programmes, such as [[SoK|Season of KDE]]. We also maintain an informal list of people who are willing to help out any newcomers. You can find an overview on the [[Mentoring]] page.
Welcome to the KDE Community! By joining our team, you will be part of an international effort by thousands of people working to deliver a stunning Free Software computing experience. You will meet new friends, learn new skills and make a difference to millions of users while working with people from all around the globe. This page will give you a brief introduction to things everyone in KDE should know, and help you get started with contributing.
We want to make sure that the KDE Community remains a welcoming and friendly place where people can feel comfortable. We ask you to abide by the KDE Community Code of Conduct when interacting with the rest of the KDE Community.
By becoming a developer in the KDE community, you can affect millions by improving world-class software used around the globe. You'll learn portable, industry-standard skills like C++, Qt, and CMake, and collaborate with people from all around the world. It's a challenging and fun experience. Find out more about becoming a KDE developer.
Are you fluent in multiple languages? By contributing your translations of the text in the user interfaces of KDE software, you can make it more pleasant for you to use, and open it up to millions of potential new users. Find out more about becoming a KDE translator.
Whether you are an artist, a designer, or just someone with an interest in how people interact with software, the KDE community needs you! The VDG makes KDE software both beautiful and usable by helping teams design and refine their user interfaces. This includes creating icons and themes, as well as thinking and researching how to help users do what they are trying to do. By joining this team, you can help make KDE's users happier and more productive. Find out more about joining the VDG.
Even with the best-designed software, users will need documentation to help them do what they want and get the most out of it. The KDE Community values good-quality documentation, and those who write it. The work of this team has one of the biggest impacts on end-users. Find out more about joining the KDE documentation team.
Do you know how to get the word out on the street? Marketing and promotion of KDE is done through a mostly grassroots effort. By being a part of the team, you will be spreading the word of KDE to people that would not otherwise have heard of the amazing things we make. You'll be part of a great team of people who are moving the world! Find out more about spreading the word about KDE.
Part of reaching as wide an audience as possible includes making KDE software easy to use for people with visual, auditory and motor disabilities. This is an important area that unfortunately does not get as much love as it deserves. Whether you are familiar with the techniques and technologies involved in this or are just keen to help out, your help will be enthusiastically welcomed. Find out more about making KDE software more accessible.
The KDE BugSquad is the first line of attack for bugs. By keeping track of incoming bug reports, verifying them, improving them and cleaning them up, you will help developers figure out what bugs they need to work on and help them get the information they need to fix them. You don't need any programming experience to participate, but experience has shown that members of this team often learn a lot in the course of dealing with bug reports, and many move on to developing the software itself. Triaging bugs is a perfect introduction if you want to eventually become a developer but don't feel like your programming experience is good enough yet. Find out more about helping squash bugs in KDE software.
Part of being in a community is talking to the other members. KDE members use a variety of different venues to communicate, depending on the topic.
To track work, such as offering a patch for review, updating a website, or coordinating a promotional campaign, KDE uses Phabricator. Sign into Phabricator with the username and password for your identity.kde.org account; if you don't have one, sign up for one here! Then to to https://phabricator.kde.org, click the "Log In" button at the top of the page, and the username and password for your KDE Identity account.
To start a short, goal-driven discussion, use Internet Relay Chat or Telegram, depending on your preference.
To start a long-term, open-ended discussion, mailing lists are best. You don't need to subscribe to them all; just a few will do. A good mailing list to subscribe to as a new member of the KDE Community is kde-community. You will need to subscribe before you can send emails to the list.
The links in the #Ways to contribute section will take you to pages with more specific information, including how to get in touch with specific teams.
Mentoring
KDE has a variety of programmes to introduce new contributors to KDE. These include external programmes that we participate in like the Google Summer of Code and the Outreach Program for Women, as well as KDE's own programmes, such as Season of KDE. We also maintain an informal list of people who are willing to help out any newcomers. You can find an overview on the Mentoring page.
