Getting Started with Contributing

How to get started contributing to Prism Launcher

Welcome to the Prism Launcher development community! This guide will help you get started with contributing to the project.

Prerequisites

Before you begin contributing, make sure you have:

• A GitHub account
• Git installed on your system
• CMake 3.22 or higher
• Qt 6.4 or higher
• A C++ compiler with C++20 support
• Basic knowledge of C++ and Qt

Repository Setup

1. Fork and Clone

   Fork the PrismLauncher repository on GitHub, then clone your fork:

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/PrismLauncher.git
   cd PrismLauncher
   
2. Update Submodules

   Initialize and update the git submodules:

   git submodule update --init --force
   
3. Install Dependencies

   Install the required dependencies for your platform. See the building guide for platform-specific instructions.

4. Configure and Build

   Create a build directory and configure the project:

   mkdir build
   cd build
   cmake ..
   cmake --build .
   

Development Environment Setup

Nix

If you’re using Nix, the project provides a development shell:

nix develop

This will automatically set up all dependencies and configure the build environment. The shell hook will:

• Update git submodules
• Run CMake configuration with Ninja
• Create a compile_commands.json symlink for LSP support

To build after entering the shell:

cd "$cmakeBuildDir"
ninjaBuildPhase
ninjaInstallPhase

IDE Setup

Qt Creator

Qt Creator provides excellent support for Qt-based projects:

1. Open CMakeLists.txt as a project
2. Configure the build directory
3. Qt Creator will automatically handle CMake configuration

CLion / Other JetBrains IDEs

Thanks to JetBrains for providing licenses as part of their Open Source program!

1. Open the project directory
2. CLion will automatically detect CMake configuration
3. Use the generated compile_commands.json for better code analysis

VS Code

Install the following extensions:

• C/C++ Extension Pack
• CMake Tools
• clangd (for better C++ language support)

The project exports compile_commands.json for LSP support when using Unix Makefiles or Ninja generators.

Making Your First Contribution

1. Find an Issue

   Browse the issue tracker to find something to work on. Issues labeled good first issue are great for beginners.

2. Create a Branch

   Create a new branch for your work:

   git checkout -b feature/my-awesome-feature
   
3. Make Changes

   Make your changes following the code style guidelines and ensure you run clang-format on modified files.

4. Test Your Changes

   Build and test your changes locally:

   cd build
   cmake --build .
   ctest  # Run tests if applicable
   
5. Sign Your Commits

   All commits must be signed off to certify the Developer Certificate of Origin:

   git commit -s -m "Your commit message"
   

   The -s flag adds a Signed-off-by line to your commit message.

6. Push and Create PR

   Push your changes and create a pull request:

   git push origin feature/my-awesome-feature
   

   Then visit GitHub to create a pull request from your branch.

Remember to read our AI usage policy if you’re using AI tools to assist with your contribution.

Community Support

Need help? Join our community spaces:

• Discord: prismlauncher.org/discord
• Matrix: prismlauncher.org/matrix
• Reddit: r/PrismLauncher

Development Builds

Development builds are available through:

• GitHub Actions - includes PR builds
• nightly.link - latest develop branch
• Flatpak nightly repository - Linux only

Development builds may contain bugs and instabilities. They include debug information, making file sizes larger.

Translations

Interested in translating? Visit our Weblate project and check out the Translations repository for more information.

Next Steps

• Read the building instructions for detailed platform-specific build steps
• Review the code style guide before making changes
• Understand our AI usage policy if you use AI tools
• Check the backporting process for release branches