Change:
* Clearly describe the issue including steps to reproduce when it is a bug. * Include information what version of nixpkgs and Nix are you using (nixos-version or git revision). <del> ## Making patches * Read [Manual (How to write packages for Nix)](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/). * Fork the repository on GitHub. * Create a branch for your future fix. * You can make branch from a commit of your local `nixos-version`. That will help you to avoid additional local compilations. Because you will recieve packages from binary cache. * For example: `nixos-version` returns `15.05.git.0998212 (Dingo)`. So you can do: ```bash git checkout 0998212 git checkout -b 'fix/pkg-name-update' ``` * Please avoid working directly on the `master` branch. * Make commits of logical units. * If you removed pkgs, made some major NixOS changes etc., write about them in `nixos/doc/manual/release-notes/rl-unstable.xml`. * Check for unnecessary whitespace with `git diff --check` before committing. * Format the commit in a following way: ``` (pkg-name | service-name): (from -> to | init at version | refactor | etc) Additional information. ``` * Examples: * `nginx: init at 2.0.1` * `firefox: 3.0 -> 3.1.1` * `hydra service: add bazBaz option` * `nginx service: refactor config generation` * Test your changes. If you work with * nixpkgs: * update pkg -> * `nix-env -i pkg-name -f <path to your local nixpkgs folder>` * add pkg -> * Make sure it's in `pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix` * `nix-env -i pkg-name -f <path to your local nixpkgs folder>` * _If you don't want to install pkg in you profile_. * `nix-build -A pkg-attribute-name <path to your local nixpkgs folder>/default.nix` and check results in the folder `result`. It will appear in the same directory where you did `nix-build`. * If you did `nix-env -i pkg-name` you can do `nix-env -e pkg-name` to uninstall it from your system. * NixOS and its modules: * You can add new module to your NixOS configuration file (usually it's `/etc/nixos/configuration.nix`). And do `sudo nixos-rebuild test -I nixpkgs=<path to your local nixpkgs folder> --fast`. * If you have commits `pkg-name: oh, forgot to insert whitespace`: squash commits in this case. Use `git rebase -i`. * Rebase you branch against current `master`. </del> ## Submitting changes <del> * Push your changes to your fork of nixpkgs. * Create pull request: * Write the title in format `(pkg-name | service): improvement`. * If you update the pkg, write versions `from -> to`. * Write in comment if you have tested your patch. Do not rely much on `TravisCI`. * If you make an improvement, write about your motivation. * Notify maintainers of the package. For example add to the message: `cc @jagajaga @domenkozar`. ## Hotfixing pull requests * Make the appropriate changes in you branch. * Don't create additional commits, do * `git rebase -i` * `git push --force` to your branch. ## Commit policy * Commits must be sufficiently tested before being merged, both for the master and staging branches. * Hydra builds for master and staging should not be used as testing platform, it's a build farm for changes that have been already tested. * Master should only see non-breaking commits that do not cause mass rebuilds. * Staging should only see non-breaking mass-rebuild commits. That means it's not to be used for testing, and changes must have been well tested already. [Read policy here](http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.distributions.nixos/13447). * If staging is already in a broken state, please refrain from adding extra new breakages. Stabilize it for a few days, merge into master, then resume development on staging. [Keep an eye on the staging evaluations here](http://hydra.nixos.org/jobset/nixpkgs/staging#tabs-evaluations). * When changing the bootloader installation process, extra care must be taken. Grub installations cannot be rolled back, hence changes may break people's installations forever. For any non-trivial change to the bootloader please file a PR asking for review, especially from @edolstra. </del> <ins> See the nixpkgs manual for details on how to [Submit changes to nixpkgs](http://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/#chap-submitting-changes). </ins>

Discussion:
Update the manual to include the policy about the branches such as staging: Instead of maintaining separate contribution guidelines in github and in the manual, we should link the to the relevant section in the manual.
I just did in for
(triage) does this suffice?