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Contributing to the Linux man-pages project
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<h1>Contributing to the Linux <em>man-pages</em> project</h1>
<p>
The following notes are written for people who want to help with
work on the Linux <em>man-pages</em> package.
</p>
<p>
To begin with, read
<span class=manpage><a href="https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/man-pages.7.html">man-pages(7)</a></span>
for information about conventions that should
be used in man pages for the <em>man-pages</em> package.
You might also find it useful to look at the notes on
<a href="maintaining.html">maintaining</a> <em>man-pages</em>.
Please also read the
<a href="code_of_conduct.html">Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct</a>.
</p>
<p>
You can help in the following ways:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
Subscribe to the
<a href="linux-man-ml.html">linux-man mailing list</a>
(<span class="email">linux-man@vger.kernel.org</span>)
and participate in the discussion of work on <em>man-pages</em>.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Send in
<a href="reporting_bugs.html">bug reports</a>
about problems in existing pages.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
<a href="patches.html">Write patches</a>
that improve existing pages.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Contribute new pages (take a look at the list of
<a href="missing_pages.html">missing pages</a>),
under a
<a href="licenses.html">free license</a>.
<br>
<br>
<li>
Review new pages and patches sent by others.
Review can include checking technical accuracy, and
suggestions for improved wording, grammar, layout,
and so on.
(This is an area where I especially need help.
As the project maintainer, I am far too often
the reviewer of last resort.)
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
<a href="FIXME.html">Grep for the string "FIXME" in existing pages</a>
and
<a href="patches.html">write patches</a> to fix the problems.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Work on <a href="https://bugzilla.kernel.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&cf_tree=Mainline&product=Documentation&component=man-pages&long_desc_type=substring&long_desc=&cf_kernel_version_type=allwordssubstr&cf_kernel_version=&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailassigned_to2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailcc2=1&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0=">open bugs in the bugzilla</a>.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
If you notice that a new release of the Linux kernel or glibc
adds a new interface or changes an existing interface, then
<a href="reporting_bugs.html">report a bug</a>
to ensure that the change gets documented.
(Interfaces include not just system calls and library functions
but also
<span class="pathname">/proc</span> files,
<span class="func">ioctl(2)</span> operations,
<span class="func">netlink</span> operations,
and so on.)
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Provide input on, or assistance with, the tasks listed on the
<a href="todo.html">TODO</a> page.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Ask the <em>man-pages</em> maintainer to add you to the
(manually maintained) distribution list of people who receive
notification of new <em>man-pages</em> releases,
and review the changes that have occurred during a release (read the
changelog and/or do a
<span class="cmd">diff -ruN</span>
between the directory trees for the current and previous releases).
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Subscribe to the
<a href="linux-api-ml.html">linux-api mailing list</a>
(<span class="email">linux-api@vger.kernel.org</span>),
a list where (conscientious) kernel developers CC patches
that change the kernel API.
This provides a "heads up" on changes that may need documenting
in manual pages.
<br>
<br>
</li>
<li>
Review this website and suggest improvements to the design, formatting,
and HTML usage. (Send mail to
<span class="email">mtk.manpages@gmail.com</span>.)
</li>
</ul>
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