Contributing to NITA¶

We welcome contributions from the community! Whether you're fixing a bug, adding a feature, or improving documentation, your contributions help make NITA better for everyone.

Why Contribute?¶

NITA is a community-driven project. By contributing, you:

• Save time for future users by solving problems once
• Improve quality by adding tests and fixing bugs
• Expand features with your unique use cases
• Build reputation in the network automation community

Contribution Workflow¶

graph LR
    A["🍴 Fork the<br/>Repository"] --> B["📥 Clone to<br/>Dev Environment"]
    B --> C["🌿 Create a<br/>Branch"]
    C --> D["✏️ Make Your<br/>Changes"]
    D --> E["💾 Commit &<br/>Sign"]
    E --> F["⬆️ Push to<br/>Origin"]
    F --> G["📬 Create<br/>Pull Request"]
    G --> H["✅ Review &<br/>Merge"]

Step-by-Step Guide¶

1. Create a GitHub Account¶

If you don't already have one, create an account at github.com.

2. Verify Your Email Address¶

Follow GitHub's instructions to verify your email. If you're a Juniper employee, verify your corporate email as well.

3. Generate GPG Keys¶

Generate a public/private keypair for signing commits:

# Install dependencies (if needed)
sudo apt install gnupg rng-tools

# Generate key
gpg --full-generate-key

Follow GitHub's GPG key guide for detailed instructions.

4. Configure Your Git Profile¶

Add your GPG key to your GitHub account settings, then configure locally:

# Set your signing key
git config --global user.signingkey <your-key-id>
git config --global commit.gpgsign true

# Set GPG binary path
git config --global gpg.program gpg

5. Fork the Repository¶

1. Navigate to the NITA repository you want to contribute to
2. Click Fork and create a copy in your account
3. Only copy the main branch (default)

6. Clone and Create a Branch¶

# Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/nita.git
cd nita

# Create a development branch
git checkout -b development

7. Make Your Changes¶

• Edit files, add new features, or fix bugs
• Run git add for any new files
• Keep changes focused and related

8. Commit Your Changes¶

# Stage changes
git add .

# Commit with a signed commit
git commit -S -m "Add feature: description of your change"

9. Push to Origin¶

git push origin development

10. Create a Pull Request¶

1. Go to the upstream repository on GitHub
2. Click New Pull Request
3. Select your fork and branch
4. Provide a clear description of your changes
5. Submit the PR

NITA Repositories¶

Code of Conduct¶

• Be respectful and constructive
• Keep discussions focused on technical topics
• Unsigned commits may take longer to review or be rejected

License¶

NITA is released under the MIT License. By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same terms.

Need Help?¶

• Open an Issue
• If you enjoy NITA, give the repo a ⭐ on GitHub!