Get started as a contributor¶
This set of guides is intended for anyone who wants to contribute more substantial changes to documentation (or on a more regular basis) using the Ubuntu command line.
For quick corrections to a page, it’s perfectly fine to use the GitHub web interface instead!
Prerequisites¶
Before you start using this guide, you will need to set up a GitHub account, if you don’t already have one. The GitHub documentation is rather good, if you get stuck or need any explanation of particular topics.
Command-line basics¶
Working on the command line takes a little getting used to, but doesn’t need too much practice to get comfortable with it. Knowing the following commands is enough to get started:
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Change directory down to |
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Go back up one directory level |
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Lists all files (including hidden files) |
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Create an empty file called |
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Remove the file called |
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Open the named file in VS Code |
Although you can use the sequence:
touch <file name>
code <file name>
To create and then open an empty file, if you use code <file name> directly without creating the file first, VS code will create the file for you.
Setting up your environment¶
If you’re using a Windows machine, start by following these instructions:
If you are working on a project that uses Sphinx to render the documentation, continue with:
Using git on the command line¶
Git is central to the way many developers and technical writers work. It enables us to work on the same project in parallel, and carefully manage and monitor open source contributions.