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Contributing to OpenClaude

Thanks for contributing.

OpenClaude is a fast-moving open-source coding-agent CLI with support for multiple providers, local backends, MCP, and a terminal-first workflow. The best contributions here are focused, well-tested, and easy to review.

Before You Start

  • Search existing issues and discussions before opening a new thread.
  • Use issues for confirmed bugs and actionable feature work.
  • Use discussions for setup help, ideas, and general community conversation.
  • For larger changes, open an issue first so the scope is clear before implementation.
  • For security reports, follow SECURITY.md.

Local Setup

Install dependencies:

bun install

Build the CLI:

bun run build

Smoke test:

bun run smoke

Run the app locally:

bun run dev

If you are working on provider setup or saved profiles, useful commands include:

bun run profile:init
bun run dev:profile

Development Workflow

  • Keep PRs focused on one problem or feature.
  • Avoid mixing unrelated cleanup into the same change.
  • Preserve existing repo patterns unless the change is intentionally refactoring them.
  • Add or update tests when the change affects behavior.
  • Update docs when setup, commands, or user-facing behavior changes.

Validation

At minimum, run the most relevant checks for your change.

Common checks:

bun run build
bun run smoke

Focused tests:

bun test ./path/to/test-file.test.ts

When working on provider/runtime setup, this can also help:

bun run doctor:runtime

Pull Requests

Good PRs usually include:

  • a short explanation of what changed
  • why it changed
  • the user or developer impact
  • the exact checks you ran

If the PR touches UI, terminal presentation, or the VS Code extension, include screenshots when useful.

If the PR changes provider behavior, mention which provider path was tested.

Code Style

  • Follow the existing code style in the touched files.
  • Prefer small, readable changes over broad rewrites.
  • Do not reformat unrelated files just because they are nearby.
  • Keep comments useful and concise.

Provider Changes

OpenClaude supports multiple provider paths. If you change provider logic:

  • be explicit about which providers are affected
  • avoid breaking third-party providers while fixing first-party behavior
  • test the exact provider/model path you changed when possible
  • call out any limitations or follow-up work in the PR description

Community

Please be respectful and constructive with other contributors.

Maintainers may ask for:

  • narrower scope
  • focused follow-up PRs
  • stronger validation
  • docs updates for behavior changes

That is normal and helps keep the project reviewable as it grows.