openpilot v0.9.6 release

date: 2024-01-12T10:13:37
master commit: ba792d576a49a0899b88a753fa1c52956bedf9e6

docs/CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# How to contribute
+
+Our software is open source so you can solve your own problems without needing help from others. And if you solve a problem and are so kind, you can upstream it for the rest of the world to use. Check out our [post about externalization](https://blog.comma.ai/a-2020-theme-externalization/). Development activity is coordinated through our GitHub Issues, [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/commaai/openpilot/discussions), and [Discord](https://discord.comma.ai).
+
+### Getting Started
+
+* Setup your [development environment](../tools/)
+* Read about the [development workflow](WORKFLOW.md)
+* Join our [Discord](https://discord.comma.ai)
+* Docs are at https://docs.comma.ai and https://blog.comma.ai
+
+## What contributions are we looking for?
+
+**openpilot's priorities are [safety](SAFETY.md), stability, quality, and features, in that order.** openpilot is part of comma's mission to *solve self-driving cars while delivering shippable intermediaries*, and **all** development is towards that goal. 
+
+### What gets merged?
+
+The probability of a pull request being merged is a function of its value to the project and the effort it will take us to get it merged.
+If a PR offers *some* value but will take lots of time to get merged, it will be closed.
+Simple, well-tested bug fixes are the easiest to merge, and new features are the hardest to get merged. 
+
+All of these are examples of good PRs:
+* typo fix: https://github.com/commaai/openpilot/pull/30678
+* removing unused code: https://github.com/commaai/openpilot/pull/30573
+* simple car model port: https://github.com/commaai/openpilot/pull/30245
+* car brand port: https://github.com/commaai/openpilot/pull/23331
+
+### What doesn't get merged?
+
+* **arbitrary style changes**: code is art, and it's up to the author to make it beautiful
+* **500+ line PRs**: clean it up, break it up into smaller PRs, or both
+* **PRs without a clear goal**: every PR must have a singular and clear goal
+* **UI design changes**: we do not have a good review process for this yet
+* **New features**: We believe openpilot is mostly feature-complete, and the rest is a matter of refinement and fixing bugs. As a result of this, most feature PRs will be immediately closed, however the beauty of open source is that forks can and do offer features that upstream openpilot doesn't.
+
+### First contribution
+
+Check out any [good first issue](https://github.com/commaai/openpilot/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22) to get started.
+
+### What do I need to contribute?
+
+A lot of openpilot work requires only a PC, and some requires a comma device.
+Most car-related contributions require access to that car, plus a comma device installed in the car.
+
+## Pull Requests
+
+Pull requests should be against the master branch. If you're unsure about a contribution, feel free to open a discussion, issue, or draft PR to discuss the problem you're trying to solve.
+
+A good pull request has all of the following:
+* a clearly stated purpose
+* every line changed directly contributes to the stated purpose
+* verification, i.e. how did you test your PR?
+* justification
+  * if you've optimized something, post benchmarks to prove it's better
+  * if you've improved your car's tuning, post before and after plots
+* passes the CI tests
+
+## Contributing without Code
+
+* Report bugs in GitHub issues.
+* Report driving issues in the `#driving-feedback` Discord channel.
+* Consider opting into driver camera uploads to improve the driver monitoring model.
+* Connect your device to Wi-Fi regularly, so that we can pull data for training better driving models.
+* Run the `nightly` branch and report issues. This branch is like `master` but it's built just like a release.
+* Annotate images in the [comma10k dateset](https://github.com/commaai/comma10k).