Details
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Improvement
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Status: Open
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Minor
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Resolution: Unresolved
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None
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Description
I have been looking for instructions on how to submit changes to cTakes. It’s been harder than I expected!
Firstly, I sent this as an email to dev@ctakes.apache.org
twice, and it did not get through both times. I am subscribed to the list. I presume that your spam filter dropped it, which means that it is dropping legitimate email from list subscribers.
On https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/CTAKES/cTAKES, there is a link labeled "Become a committer”, but that goes to http://ctakes.apache.org/ppmc-faqs.html, which is a broken link.
I’m guessing that it was supposed to be https://ctakes.apache.org/pmc-faqs.html. On that page, it says "we have different kind of roles like user, developer, Committer ... The following are conditions to become a Committer: 1. You have sent in patches ..." It doesn’t say anything about how to actually send a patch.
On https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/CTAKES/cTAKES+4.0+Developer+Install+Guide, there is a description on how to get the source from Subversion, or Subversion + Git. It doesn’t explain why I would want to use two VCSs at the same time 
. It also doesn’t say anything about submitting changes, either through svn or git, nor GitHub or email.
On https://ctakes.apache.org/developer-faqs.html, it says "Submit issues using JIRA. Anyone may read the issues. You must be a contributor to add or edit issues.” It doesn’t say how you become a contributor. It also isn't true, because here I am submitting an issue on Jira. I don't know why it says that in the FAQ. It initially put me off from filing a ticket.
On https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/CTAKES/Best+Practices it says to create a Jira ticket and mention it in the commit message, but it also doesn’t say how to actually submit a patch. It looks like this page is intended for Committers (i.e. those with direct commit rights) but it doesn't say anything about best practices when you don't have commit rights.
For what it’s worth the Tika project has this page: https://tika.apache.org/contribute.html, and their readme at https://github.com/apache/tika/. Between them they have instructions on where to file issues, how to submit patches through GitHub, and how to get changes reviewed. That’s the kind of info for cTakes that I was looking for. Other projects that I’ve worked with (Apache or otherwise) have taken patches through email, or a bug tracker, or a system like Gerrit. I’m trying to find out what cTakes is using.
I have changes that I would like to submit, but I am failing at the first hurdle.