Contributing Guide

We welcome contributions to Spotter! This guide will help you get started with contributing code, documentation, security rules, and more.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Go: Required for building Spotter
• Git: For version control
• Make: For build automation
• Docker: For containerized development (optional)
• Kubernetes cluster: For testing (kind, minikube, or cloud cluster)

Development Setup

1. Fork and Clone

# Fork the repository on GitHub
# Then clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/spotter.git
cd spotter

# Add upstream remote
git remote add upstream https://github.com/madhuakula/spotter.git

2. Install Dependencies

# Install Go dependencies
go mod download

3. Build and Test

# Build the project
make build

# Run tests
make test

# Run linting
make lint

Development Workflow

1. Create a Feature Branch

# Update main branch
git checkout main
git pull upstream main

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

# Or for bug fixes
git checkout -b fix/issue-number-description

2. Make Changes

# Make your changes
# Add tests for new functionality
# Update documentation if needed

# Run tests frequently
make test

# Check code quality
make lint

3. Commit Changes

# Stage changes
git add .

# Commit with descriptive message
git commit -m "feat: add new security rule for privileged containers"

# Follow conventional commit format:
# feat: new feature
# fix: bug fix
# docs: documentation changes
# style: formatting changes
# refactor: code refactoring
# test: adding tests
# chore: maintenance tasks

4. Push and Create PR

# Push to your fork
git push origin feature/your-feature-name

# Create pull request on GitHub
# Fill out the PR template
# Link related issues

Community Guidelines

Code of Conduct

We follow the Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct. Please be respectful and inclusive in all interactions.

Communication Channels

• GitHub Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
• GitHub Discussions: General questions and discussions

Getting Help

1. Check Documentation: Start with the docs
2. Search Issues: Look for existing discussions
3. Ask Questions: Use GitHub Discussions

Recognition

We recognize contributors through:

• Contributors file: Listed in CONTRIBUTORS.md
• Release notes: Mentioned in changelogs
• Social media: Highlighted on Twitter/LinkedIn

Thank you for contributing to Spotter! Your contributions help make Kubernetes security accessible to everyone.