# So You Want to Contribute…

For general information on contributing to OpenStack, check out the contributor guide to get started. It covers all the basics that are common to all OpenStack projects: the accounts you need, the basics of interacting with our Gerrit review system, how we communicate as a community, etc.

Below will cover the more project specific information you need to get started with Manila (Shared File System service).

## Where is the code?

manila
  The OpenStack Shared File System Service
  code: https://opendev.org/openstack/manila
  docs: https://docs.openstack.org/manila/
  api-ref: https://docs.openstack.org/api-ref/shared-file-system
  release model: https://releases.openstack.org/reference/release_models.html#cycle-with-rc
  Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/manila
python-manilaclient
  Python client library for the OpenStack Shared File System Service API; includes standalone CLI shells and OpenStack client plugin and shell
  code: https://opendev.org/openstack/python-manilaclient
  docs: https://docs.openstack.org/python-manilaclient
  release model: https://releases.openstack.org/reference/release_models.html#cycle-with-intermediary
  Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/python-manilaclient
manila-ui
  OpenStack dashboard plugin for the Shared File System Service
  code: https://opendev.org/openstack/manila-ui
  docs: https://docs.openstack.org/manila-ui
  release model: https://releases.openstack.org/reference/release_models.html#cycle-with-intermediary
  Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/manila-ui
manila-tempest-plugin
  An OpenStack test integration (tempest) plugin containing API and scenario tests for the Shared File System Service
  code: https://opendev.org/openstack/manila-tempest-plugin
  release model: https://releases.openstack.org/reference/release_models.html#cycle-automatic
  Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/manila
manila-image-elements
  A Disk Image Builder project with scripts to build a bootable Linux image for testing and use by some Shared File System Service storage drivers including the Generic Driver
  code: https://opendev.org/openstack/manila-tempest-plugin
  release model: no releases
  Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/manila
manila-test-image
  A project with scripts to create a Buildroot based image to create a small bootable Linux image, primarily for the purposes of testing Manila
  code: https://opendev.org/openstack/manila-image-elements
  images: https://tarballs.opendev.org/openstack/manila-image-elements/
  release model: no releases
  Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/manila-image-elements
manila-specs
  Design Specifications for the Shared File System service
  code: https://opendev.org/openstack/manila-specs
  published specs: https://specs.openstack.org/openstack/manila-specs/
  release model: no releases
  Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/manila

See the `CONTRIBUTING.rst` file in each code repository for more information about contributing to that specific deliverable. Additionally, you should look over the docs links above; most components have helpful developer information specific to that deliverable.

Manila and its associated projects follow a coordinated release alongside other OpenStack projects. Development cycles are code named. See the OpenStack Releases website for names and schedules of the current, past and future development cycles.

## Communication

### IRC

The team uses IRC extensively for communication and coordination of project activities. The IRC channel is `#openstack-manila` on OFTC.

If you’d like a quick and dirty guide to get connected with the community, refer to this page.

Contributors work in various timezones across the world; so many of them run IRC Bouncers and appear to be always online. If you ping someone, or raise a question on the IRC channel, someone will get back to you when they are back on their computer. Additionally, the community IRC channel is logged, so if you ask a question when no one is around, you can check the log to see if it has been answered.

### Team Meetings

We host a one-hour IRC based community meeting every Thursday at 1500 UTC on `#openstack-meeting-alt` channel. See the OpenStack meetings page for the most up-to-date meeting information and for downloading the ICS file to integrate this slot with your calendar. The community meeting is a good opportunity to gather the attention of multiple contributors synchronously. If you wish to do so, add a meeting topic along with your IRC nick to the Meeting agenda.

### Mailing List

In addition to IRC, the team uses the OpenStack Discuss Mailing List for development discussions. This list is meant for communication about all things developing OpenStack; so we also use this list to engage with contributors across projects, and make any release cycle announcements. Since it is a wide distribution list, the use of subject line tags is encouraged to make sure you reach the right people. Prefix the subject line with `[manila]` when sending email that concern Manila on this list.

### Other Communication Avenues

Contributors gather at least once per release at the OpenDev Project Team Gathering to discuss plans for an upcoming development cycle. This is usually where developers pool ideas and brainstorm features and bug fixes. We have had both virtual, and in-person Project Technical Gathering events in the past. Before every such event, we gather opinions from the community via IRC Meetings and the Mailing list on planning these Project Technical Gatherings.

We make extensive use of Etherpads. You can find some of them that the team used in the past in the project Wiki. To share code snippets or logs, we use PasteBin.

## Contacting the Core Team

When you contribute patches, your change will need to be approved by one or more maintainers (collectively known as the “Core Team”).

We’re always looking for more maintainers! If you’re looking to help maintain Manila, express your interest to the existing core team. We have mentored many individuals for one or more development cycles and added them to the core team.

Any new core reviewer needs to be nominated to the team by an existing core reviewer by making a proposal on OpenStack Discuss Mailing List. Other maintainers and contributors can then express their approval or disapproval by responding to the proposal. If there is a decision, the project team lead will add the concerned individual to the core reviewers team. An example proposal is here.

## New Feature Planning

If you’d like to propose a new feature, do so by creating a blueprint on Launchpad. For significant changes we might require a design specification.

### Feature changes that need a specification include:

- Adding new API methods

- Substantially modifying the behavior of existing API methods

- Adding a new database resource or modifying existing resources

- Modifying a share back end driver interface, thereby affecting all share back end drivers

### What doesn’t need a design specification:

- Making trivial (backwards compatible) changes to the behavior of an existing API method. Examples include adding a new field to the response schema of an existing method, or introducing a new query parameter. See API Microversions on how Manila APIs are versioned.

- Adding new share back end drivers or modifying share drivers, without affecting the share back end driver interface

- Adding or changing tests

After filing a blueprint, if you’re in doubt whether to create a design specification, contact the maintainers.

Design specifications are tracked in the Manila Specifications repository and are published on the OpenStack Project Specifications website. Refer to the specification template to structure your design spec.

Specifications and new features have deadlines. Usually, specifications for an upcoming release are frozen midway into the release development cycle. To determine the exact deadlines, see the published release calendars by navigating to the specific release from the OpenStack releases website.

## Task Tracking

- We track our bugs in Launchpad:

  https://bugs.launchpad.net/manila

  If you’re looking for some smaller, easier work item to pick up and get started on, search for the ‘low-hanging-fruit’ tag

- We track future features as blueprints on Launchpad:

  https://blueprints.launchpad.net/manila

- Unimplemented specifications are tracked here:

  https://specs.openstack.org/openstack/manila-specs/#unimplemented-specs

  These specifications need a new owner. If you’re interested to pick them up and drive them to completion, you can update the corresponding blueprint and get in touch with the project maintainers for help

## Reporting a Bug

You found an issue and want to make sure we are aware of it? You can do so on Launchpad.

## Getting Your Patch Merged

When you submit your change through Gerrit, a number of automated Continuous Integration tests are run on your change. A change must receive a +1 vote from the OpenStack CI system in order for it to be merge-worthy. If these tests are failing and you can’t determine why, contact the maintainers.

See the Manila team code review policy to understand our code review conventions. Generally, reviewers look at new code submissions pro-actively; if you do not have sufficient attention to your change, or are looking for help, do not hesitate to jump into the team’s IRC channel, or bring our attention to your issue during a community meeting. The core team would prefer to have an open discussion instead of a one-on-one/private chat.

## Project Team Lead Duties

A project team lead is elected from the project contributors each cycle. Manila Project specific responsibilities for a lead are listed in the Manila Project Team Lead guide.

this page last updated: 2026-03-20 00:20:57

Except where otherwise noted, this document is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. See all OpenStack Legal Documents.

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