Clarify when to CLA vs sign off

2025-12-11 01:40:42 +00:00 · 2025-01-23 13:20:57 +05:30
1 changed files with 86 additions and 83 deletions
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -1,7 +1,92 @@
-# Contributing code to Element Web
+## CLA/Sign-off for contribution
+
+### For contributing code to `element-web` repo (CLA mandatory)

 Everyone is welcome to contribute code to Element Web, provided that they are willing to license their contributions to Element under a [Contributor License Agreement](https://cla-assistant.io/element-hq/element-web) (CLA). This ensures that their contribution will be made available under an OSI-approved open-source license, currently licensed under Affero General Public License v3 (AGPLv3) or General Public License v3 (GPLv3) at your choice.

+### For contributing code to `matrix-js-sdk` repo (Sign-off mandatory)
+
+In order to have a concrete record that your contribution is intentional
+and you agree to license it under the same terms as the project's license, we've
+adopted the same lightweight approach that the Linux Kernel
+(https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/submitting-patches.html), Docker
+(https://github.com/docker/docker/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md), and many other
+projects use: the DCO (Developer Certificate of Origin:
+http://developercertificate.org/). This is a simple declaration that you wrote
+the contribution or otherwise have the right to contribute it to Matrix:
+
+```
+Developer Certificate of Origin
+Version 1.1
+
+Copyright (C) 2004, 2006 The Linux Foundation and its contributors.
+660 York Street, Suite 102,
+San Francisco, CA 94110 USA
+
+Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this
+license document, but changing it is not allowed.
+
+Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.1
+
+By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
+
+(a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I
+    have the right to submit it under the open source license
+    indicated in the file; or
+
+(b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best
+    of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source
+    license and I have the right under that license to submit that
+    work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part
+    by me, under the same open source license (unless I am
+    permitted to submit under a different license), as indicated
+    in the file; or
+
+(c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other
+    person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified
+    it.
+
+(d) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution
+    are public and that a record of the contribution (including all
+    personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is
+    maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with
+    this project or the open source license(s) involved.
+```
+
+If you agree to this for your contribution, then all that's needed is to
+include the line in your commit or pull request comment:
+
+```
+Signed-off-by: Your Name <your@email.example.org>
+```
+
+We accept contributions under a legally identifiable name, such as your name on
+government documentation or common-law names (names claimed by legitimate usage
+or repute). Unfortunately, we cannot accept anonymous contributions at this
+time.
+
+Git allows you to add this signoff automatically when using the `-s` flag to
+`git commit`, which uses the name and email set in your `user.name` and
+`user.email` git configs.
+
+If you forgot to sign off your commits before making your pull request and are
+on Git 2.17+ you can mass signoff using rebase:
+
+```
+git rebase --signoff origin/develop
+```
+
+#### Private sign off
+
+If you would like to provide your legal name privately to the Matrix.org
+Foundation (instead of in a public commit or comment), you can do so by emailing
+your legal name and a link to the pull request to dco@matrix.org. It helps to
+include "sign off" or similar in the subject line. You will then be instructed
+further.
+
+Once private sign off is complete, doing so for future contributions will not
+be required.
+
 ## How to contribute

 The preferred and easiest way to contribute changes to the project is to fork
@@ -189,88 +274,6 @@ give away to contributors - if you feel that Matrix-branded apparel is missing
 from your life, please mail us your shipping address to matrix at matrix.org
 and we'll try to fix it :)

-## Sign off
-
-In order to have a concrete record that your contribution is intentional
-and you agree to license it under the same terms as the project's license, we've
-adopted the same lightweight approach that the Linux Kernel
-(https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/submitting-patches.html), Docker
-(https://github.com/docker/docker/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md), and many other
-projects use: the DCO (Developer Certificate of Origin:
-http://developercertificate.org/). This is a simple declaration that you wrote
-the contribution or otherwise have the right to contribute it to Matrix:
-
-```
-Developer Certificate of Origin
-Version 1.1
-
-Copyright (C) 2004, 2006 The Linux Foundation and its contributors.
-660 York Street, Suite 102,
-San Francisco, CA 94110 USA
-
-Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this
-license document, but changing it is not allowed.
-
-Developer's Certificate of Origin 1.1
-
-By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
-
-(a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I
-    have the right to submit it under the open source license
-    indicated in the file; or
-
-(b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best
-    of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source
-    license and I have the right under that license to submit that
-    work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part
-    by me, under the same open source license (unless I am
-    permitted to submit under a different license), as indicated
-    in the file; or
-
-(c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other
-    person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified
-    it.
-
-(d) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution
-    are public and that a record of the contribution (including all
-    personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is
-    maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with
-    this project or the open source license(s) involved.
-```
-
-If you agree to this for your contribution, then all that's needed is to
-include the line in your commit or pull request comment:
-
-```
-Signed-off-by: Your Name <your@email.example.org>
-```
-
-We accept contributions under a legally identifiable name, such as your name on
-government documentation or common-law names (names claimed by legitimate usage
-or repute). Unfortunately, we cannot accept anonymous contributions at this
-time.
-
-Git allows you to add this signoff automatically when using the `-s` flag to
-`git commit`, which uses the name and email set in your `user.name` and
-`user.email` git configs.
-
-If you forgot to sign off your commits before making your pull request and are
-on Git 2.17+ you can mass signoff using rebase:
-
-```
-git rebase --signoff origin/develop
-```
-
-## Private sign off
-
-If you would like to provide your legal name privately to the Matrix.org
-Foundation (instead of in a public commit or comment), you can do so by emailing
-your legal name and a link to the pull request to dco@matrix.org. It helps to
-include "sign off" or similar in the subject line. You will then be instructed
-further.
-
-Once private sign off is complete, doing so for future contributions will not
-be required.

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