Contribute

The Terrene Foundation accepts contributions to its specifications and software. All contributions are made under open licenses: Apache 2.0 for code, CC BY 4.0 for specifications. Intellectual property is irrevocably transferred to the Foundation upon contribution. No contributor retains exclusive rights or structural advantage.

How to contribute

Code contributions

1. Fork the relevant repository on GitHub
2. Create a branch following the naming convention: type/description (e.g., feat/add-auth, fix/api-timeout, docs/update-readme)
3. Make your changes following the project’s coding conventions
4. Sign off your commits using the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO): git commit -s -m "feat(scope): description"
5. Open a pull request against the main branch with a clear description of what and why

Specification contributions

Specifications (CARE, EATP, CO) accept contributions through the RFC (Request for Comments) process:

1. Open an issue on the relevant repository describing the proposed change
2. If the change is substantive, write a brief RFC document explaining the motivation, the proposed change, and its implications
3. RFCs are open for public comment for a minimum of 30 days
4. The Foundation reviews community feedback and publishes a decision with rationale

Documentation and translation

Documentation improvements, error corrections, and translations are welcome. These follow the standard pull request process.

Bug reports

File issues on the relevant repository with:

• A clear description of the expected behavior and actual behavior
• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Environment details (OS, Python version, package versions)

Developer Certificate of Origin

The Foundation uses the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) instead of a Contributor License Agreement. The DCO is the same sign-off used by the Linux kernel and many other open-source projects.

By signing off on a commit, you certify that:

• You wrote the contribution, or have the right to submit it
• You are providing the contribution under the project’s license (Apache 2.0 for code, CC BY 4.0 for specifications)
• You understand that the contribution becomes part of the Foundation’s IP, irrevocably transferred under the constitution

Add the sign-off to every commit: git commit -s -m "your message"

This adds a Signed-off-by: Your Name <your@email.com> line to the commit.

Code of conduct

Treat others as you would want to be treated. The Foundation expects contributors to engage respectfully, provide constructive feedback, and assume good faith in others’ contributions.

Unacceptable behavior includes harassment, discrimination, personal attacks, and bad-faith participation. The Foundation reserves the right to remove contributors who violate these expectations.

Development with COC

The Foundation’s development workflow uses Cognitive Orchestration for Codegen (COC), a structured approach to AI-assisted development. The COC template repository provides the agent team, rules, and workflows used for Foundation development.

• Template repository: github.com/terrene-foundation/kailash-coc-claude-py
• Methodology: CO specification

COC is not required for contributions. Standard pull requests following the project’s coding conventions are welcome.

Path from contributor to Committer Member

Sustained, meritorious contribution to Foundation projects or specifications qualifies an individual for Committer Member status. Committer Members have voting rights in Foundation governance.

The path:

1. Contribute: Code, specifications, documentation, testing, mentorship, translation
2. Build a track record: Sustained contribution over time demonstrates commitment
3. Receive a nomination: An existing Committer Member nominates you, seconded by another
4. Admission vote: Existing Committer Members approve by majority vote

During Phase 1 (Seed), the Foundation is building toward the community size needed for Phase 2 governance. Early contributors will have a formative role in shaping the Foundation’s culture and practices.

IP and licensing

• Code contributions: Licensed under Apache 2.0
• Specification contributions: Licensed under CC BY 4.0
• All IP is irrevocably transferred to the Foundation upon contribution
• No contributor retains exclusive rights, special access, or structural advantage
• Anyone, including you, can build commercial products on Foundation standards

See Licensing for the complete license table.

Repositories

Repository	What it contains
kailash-py	Kailash Python SDK, EATP SDK
care	CARE Platform
praxis	Praxis toolkit
kailash-coc-claude-py	COC template for Claude-based development

Questions

For questions about contributing, contact jack@terrene.foundation or open an issue on the relevant repository.