---
title: Contribute to Gentoo
navtitle: Contribute

nav1: get-involved
nav2: contribute
nav2-show: true
nav2-weight: 40
---
<p class="lead">
  There are plenty of things you can do to make Gentoo even better.
  <br>
  Here's your chance to leave a mark on our distribution!
</p>

<br>

<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-primary contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-users fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Provide community support</h2>
    <p>
      Join the awesome crowd of helpful people in our <a href="../irc-channels/">IRC channels</a>,
      on our <a href="https://forums.gentoo.org/">forums</a> and on the <a href="../mailing-lists/">mailing lists</a>.
      <br>
      If a topic is being discussed that you're knowledgeable on, please feel free to contribute and help out a fellow user.
    </p>
    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="https://forums.gentoo.org/search.php?search_id=unanswered" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-question-circle"></span> Unanswered questions on the forums
      </a>
      <a href="../irc-channels/" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-comments-o"></span> Join <tt>#gentoo</tt>
      </a>
      <a href="../mailing-lists/" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-inbox"></span> Mailing lists
      </a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<hr>

<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-primary contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-book fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Improve documentation</h2>
    <p>
      Our <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/">wiki</a> is the central documentation resource made by the community for the community.
      <br>
      Found something that needs to be documented, improved, translated, or rewritten?
      Sign up and get it done!
    </p>

    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-book"></span> Create new articles
      </a>
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Help:Editing_pages" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-pencil"></span> Edit existing docs
      </a>
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Help:Translating#For_Anyone:_Becoming_a_translator" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-globe"></span> Translate
      </a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<hr>

<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-primary contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-gears fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Maintain ebuilds</h2>
    <p>
      Packages are the very essence of our distribution.
      Maintaining them is one of the most important tasks we have.
    </p>
    <p>
      Our packages are installed via <em>ebuilds</em>.
      There are various resources that can help you get accustomed with the creation and maintenance of these powerful little bash scripts:
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li><a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Basic_guide_to_write_Gentoo_Ebuilds">Basic guide to writing ebuilds</a>.</li>
      <li><a href="https://devmanual.gentoo.org/">The Gentoo Developer Manual</a>.</li>
      <li>The <a href="irc://irc.gentoo.org/gentoo-dev-help"><tt>#gentoo-dev-help</tt></a> IRC channel.</li>
      <li>The <a href="/get-involved/mailing-lists/all-lists.html">gentoo-devhelp</a> mailing list.</li>
    </ul>

    <p>
      Before <a href="/get-involved/become-developer/">becoming a developer</a>, you can test and improve your ebuild writing skills by contributing
      to one of the <a href="https://repos.gentoo.org/">third-party ebuild repositories</a>, testing packages as <em>Architecture tester</em>
      or work together with a developer and act as <em>Proxy maintainer</em> for a small set of packages.
    </p>

    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Submitting_ebuilds" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-upload"></span> How to submit ebuilds
      </a>
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:GURU" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-wrench"></span> Contribute to GURU user repository
      </a>
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:X86/Arch_Testers_FAQ" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-wrench"></span> Become arch tester
      </a>
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Proxy_Maintainers" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-user"></span> Become proxy maintainer
      </a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<hr>

<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-primary contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-bug fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Report and resolve bugs</h2>
    <p>
      <br>
      If you've come across flaw in a package in our distribution, please take a moment to report it
      on our <a href="https://bugs.gentoo.org/">Bugzilla</a> bug tracker.
      Of course we also appreciate you reporting solutions to existing entries and not just problems. 😉
    </p>
    <p>
      Below are resources that explain how to get started:
    </p>

    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Bugzilla/Guide" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-book"></span> Bugzilla guide
      </a>
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Beautiful_bug_reports" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-book"></span> Reporting beautiful bugs
      </a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<hr>

<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-primary contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-paint-brush fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Create artwork and designs</h2>
    <p>
      Got an idea for a cool wallpaper, case badge, graphic item, web feature, or anything else that will be a pleasure to look at?
      <br>
      Make it happen and let us know!
    </p>
    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Artwork" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-paint-brush"></span> Contact the Artwork team
      </a>
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Website" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-globe"></span> Contact the Web team
      </a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<hr>
<!--
<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-primary contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-newspaper-o fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Contribute articles and stories</h2>
    <p>
      The <a href="https://blogs.gentoo.org/news/">Gentoo news</a> team always looks for pieces on cool use cases of Gentoo or news related to our project.
      <br>
      Break out your writing pads and get <kbd>--verbose</kbd>.
    </p>
    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:GMN" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-newspaper-o"></span> Contact the news project 
      </a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<hr>
-->
<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-primary contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-database fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Sponsor infrastructure</h2>
    <p>
      Gentoo is largely run on sponsored infrastructure, as we can only sustain the very core machines of the distribution.
    </p>

    <p>
      If you have access to machines, bandwidth, or co-location and wish to support Gentoo,
      please get in touch with our <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Infrastructure">Infrastructure project</a>.
    </p>

    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="mailto:infra@gentoo.org" class="btn btn-primary"><span class="fa fa-fw fa-database"></span> Offer infrastructure resources</a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<hr>

<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-primary contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-cloud-download fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Provide a mirror</h2>
    <p>
      Mirrors provide users around the globe with speedy access to the latest ebuilds, program sources, stage archives, and boot media.
      <br>
      Users in Africa, Asia, and Oceania would especially appreciate further bandwidth in their respective regions.
    </p>

    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Infrastructure/Rsync" class="btn btn-primary">
        <span class="fa fa-fw fa-cloud-download"></span> Join the Gentoo mirror network
      </a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<hr>

<section class="row">
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-2 text-center text-danger contribute-icon">
    <span class="fa fa-fw fa-heart fa-5x"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-xs-12 col-md-10">
    <h2 class="stick-top">Donate</h2>
    <p>
      Even if you're not a master of technology, artwork guru, or support specialist,
      you can contribute to Gentoo by helping to cover our running costs.
    </p>

    <p class="button-bar">
      <a href="/donate" class="btn btn-danger"><span class="fa fa-fw fa-heart"></span> Donate now</a>
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

<br>

<div class="alert alert-info">
  <strong>Looking for specific tasks?</strong>
  The Gentoo projects publish their <a href="https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Gentoo/Staffing_Needs" class="alert-link">staffing needs on the wiki</a>.
  You are also always welcome to pick a <a href="https://bugs.gentoo.org" class="alert-link">bug</a> and work on it.
</div>