Stefan: Contributions - how to. And good luck.

2026-09-25T22:04:04Z

Contributions - how to. And good luck.

New page

=== Contributing to Argent ===

Argent is made by a small team, and every bit of help counts. You don't have to be a developer: a good bug report, a tested fix, a screenshot for this wiki or a translation is already a contribution.

Everything Argent is public, on GitLab:

[https://gitlab.com/argent https://gitlab.com/argent]

== Reporting bugs ==

Bugs go here, for everything Argent (packages, installer, epkg, avasile, ...):

[https://gitlab.com/argent/argent-ws/-/work_items https://gitlab.com/argent/argent-ws/-/work_items]

A good bug report has:

* what you did, what you expected, and what happened instead
* the ISO you installed from, and the mode you are on (<code>avasile --status</code>)
* the output of <code>epkg sysinfo</code>
* for a failed service: <code>systemctl --failed</code> and <code>journalctl -b -p err</code>
* for a failed compile: the build log, portage tells you where it is at the end of the error

Search the existing reports first, maybe someone already had the same problem.

== Our main repositories ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Repository !! What it is !! Ends up on your system as
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/argent-ws argent-ws] || our overlay: Argent's own packages, our fixes to Gentoo packages, our eclasses (like <code>argent-kernel</code>) || <code>/var/db/repos/argent-ws</code>
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/portage portage] || our snapshot of the Gentoo tree, the one our binhost is built from || <code>/var/db/repos/gentoo</code>
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/argentws-build argentws-build] || the central configuration: make.conf, USE flags, keywords, masks, sets || <code>/opt/argentws-build</code>, and <code>/etc/portage</code> points into it
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/epkg epkg] || the epkg package manager || <code>app-portage/epkg</code>
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/avasile avasile] || modes, and the package and ISO builder || <code>app-admin/avasile</code>
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/argentws-live argentws-live] || the live ISO scripts (<code>argentlive.service</code>) || <code>app-misc/argent-live</code>, only on the live ISO
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/argentws-skel argentws-skel] || the default settings of every new user (<code>/etc/skel</code>) || <code>app-misc/argent-skel</code>
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/argent-theme argent-theme] || the Argent look for Plasma || <code>x11-themes/argent-theme</code>
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/bionel-icons bionel-icons] || the icon theme || <code>x11-themes/bionel-icons</code>
|-
| [https://gitlab.com/argent/boot-core boot-core] || the GRUB menu and boot files of the live ISO || only on the ISO
|}

The installer (Calamares) is configured in <code>argent-ws</code> too, in <code>app-misc/calamares-config-argent</code>.

== How to contribute code ==

The usual GitLab way:

* make a GitLab account
* fork the repository you want to change
* make your change in a branch of your fork
* open a '''merge request''' to our repository, and explain what you changed and why

Small and focused merge requests get in faster than big ones. One problem, one merge request.

=== Commit messages ===

Start with what you changed, then a colon, then what you did. Look at <code>git log</code> of the repository to see how we do it:

In <code>argent-ws</code>, the package:

<code>app-misc/argent-config-files: revbump 1.0-r5</code>

In <code>argentws-build</code>, the file:

<code>package.accept_keywords/00-argent.package.keywords: accept keywords for <dev-lua/luv-1.53</code>

In <code>epkg</code> and <code>avasile</code>, the script:

<code>libavasile: added zerofree</code>

=== Packages (argent-ws) ===

Our ebuilds follow the Gentoo rules, the [https://devmanual.gentoo.org/ Gentoo Development Guide] is the reference. On top of that:

* '''never change an ebuild that is already out''', copy it to a new revision (<code>-r1</code>, <code>-r2</code>, ...) and change the copy. The same when you only change a file in <code>files/</code>: our binhost rebuilds a package only when its version or revision changes
* our overlay uses thin manifests, so after you add or change a download (<code>SRC_URI</code>), update the Manifest: <code>ebuild <your.ebuild> manifest</code>
* no comments in the ebuilds
* test it on your system before the merge request, in devmode (<code>avasile --devmode</code>), with <code>epkg install =category/package-version</code>

=== Configuration (argentws-build) ===

A change here goes to '''every''' Argent system, and changes what our binhost builds. Explain in the merge request why the change is needed, and what it does to users who don't use that package.

If you add a new file in <code>/etc/portage</code>, add it to the <code>.gitignore</code> whitelist of its directory too (<code>!00-argent-something.package.use</code>), otherwise git ignores it. See the System Administration page for how the whitelist works.

== Contributing to this wiki ==

Found something wrong or missing here? Tell us in a bug report, or send the corrected text. Screenshots are welcome too, many pages have empty spots waiting for them.

Contributing to Argent Linux - Revision history

Stefan: Contributions - how to. And good luck.