=head1 How to obtain a commit bit for the Rakudo repository?

Firstly, what's a "commit bit"? If you don't know what it is, you
probably don't need one :-) But, in any case, a "commit bit" is the
colloquial way that L<#perl6|https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=#perl6>
describes how you obtain access to make commits directly to the rakudo
repository. (i.e., not via a fork and pull request, but directly
to https://github.com/rakudo/rakudo)

B<Step one,> if you haven't already, is to send a signed copy of the
Contributor License Agreement (CLA) to the Perl Foundation. The CLA and the
address it can be mailed to can
be found at http://www.perlfoundation.org/contributor_license_agreement
Some contributors chose to email the CLA to C<trademark -at- perlfoundation.org>
instead; you can speak to C<[Coke]> on
L<our IRC chat|https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=#perl6> for details about
the process as well as follow up on whether your CLA has been received by
The Perl Foundation.

Why is a signed CLA necessary for commit access? The CLA helps protect the Perl
Foundation and the Rakudo project and contributors alike from
intellectual property issues. The CLA warrants that your contributions
are yours to give and that they are not encumbered by anyone else's
intellectual "lien" on those contributions.

For instance, some employment contracts stipulate that any intellectual
property that you generate belongs to your employer whether you generate
it during work or after hours at home or while on vacation. If your
employment contract has such a stipulation, you must seek permission
from your employer such that you can contribute to Rakudo without fear
that your employer will later claim ownership of your contributions. The
CLA says that you have done the due diligence in these matters and that
as far as you are aware, your contributions are yours alone to give.

B<Once you send off your signed CLA,> and it's received by The Perl Foundation
you can then inquire on
L<irc://freenode.net/#perl6|https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=#perl6>
about getting commit access to the Rakudo
repository. The main source code repository for Rakudo is administered
on GitHub, so it would be a good idea to have a github account before
you request a commit bit. There is at least one officer of the Perl
Foundation on #perl6 who can verify the reception of your signed CLA and
several people that can then add you to the Rakudo project.

Typically a commit bit is granted after a new contributor has submitted
a few good patches.
