Skip to content

CONTRIBUTING.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
143 lines (104 loc) · 3.34 KB

CONTRIBUTING.md

File metadata and controls

143 lines (104 loc) · 3.34 KB

Contributing to SecureVault

Thank you for your interest in contributing to SecureVault – Encrypted Data Vault,
a project developed and maintained by BYLICKILABS – Intelligence Systems & Communications.

This document explains how to report issues, propose features, and submit code contributions.

1. Code of Conduct

All contributors are expected to adhere to our community standards:

  • Be respectful and professional in all communications
  • Focus on constructive collaboration
  • No personal attacks, discrimination, or harassment

Violations may result in removal from the project community.

2. Getting Started

2.1 Fork and Clone

# Fork the repository on GitHub
git clone https://github.com/bylickilabs/SecureVault.git
cd SecureVault

2.2 Setup Local Environment

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate        

# On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

2.3 Code Style

All code must comply with the following:

  • PEP 8 style guide
  • Explicit type hints (typing module)
  • English comments and docstrings
  • Security-aware error handling
  • No plaintext logging of sensitive data

Run static checks before committing:

flake8 securevault/
black --check securevault/

3. Branching & Workflow

Step Description
main Stable, release-ready branch
develop Active development branch
feature/* Feature branches (new functionality)
fix/* Bugfix branches
security/* Security-specific improvements

Submit all changes through Pull Requests (PRs) targeting the develop branch.

Each PR must:

  • Contain a clear description of the change
  • Reference related issues
  • Pass CI checks (tests, linting, build)

4. Commit Guidelines

Use clear and conventional commit messages:

feat: add AES-GCM encryption fallback
fix: resolve UI freeze during container load
docs: update installation instructions
refactor: improve Argon2id key derivation flow

Avoid vague messages such as “update code” or “fix bug”.

5. Testing

Before submitting a PR, ensure:

  • All unit tests pass
  • No regressions in encryption or file handling
  • UI interactions are validated if applicable

Run:

pytest -v

Add new tests for each major feature or fix.

6. Security Reports

If you discover a vulnerability, do not open a public GitHub issue.

Instead, contact the security team directly:

bylicki@mail.de

Refer to the official SECURITY

7. Documentation

All public functions and classes must include concise docstrings explaining:

  • Purpose and parameters
  • Expected behavior
  • Possible exceptions

If your change adds new features, update:

8. Licensing

By submitting code, you agree that:

  • Your contribution will be licensed under the project’s open-source license
  • You hold the rights to the code you submit
  • You grant BYLICKILABS the right to maintain and distribute it

9. Recognition

Contributors who make meaningful improvements will be acknowledged in:

  • The official documentation
  • Release notes
  • Project credits section

SecureVault welcomes professional, security-focused contributions.
Together we build trusted, verifiable, and resilient software.