# Contributing to Elen

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Elen. This document covers the process for contributing to this project.

## Code of Conduct

Be respectful, constructive, and collaborative. We're building infrastructure for agent decision-making — the bar for rigor applies to our community too.

## How to Contribute

### Reporting Issues

- Use [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/LearningNodes/Elen/issues) for bugs and feature requests
- Search existing issues before creating a new one
- Use the provided issue templates

### Submitting Changes

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch from `main`
3. Make your changes with clear, descriptive commits
4. Ensure any new code has appropriate tests
5. Submit a Pull Request with a clear description of what and why

### What We're Looking For

- Bug fixes and performance improvements
- SDK improvements (TypeScript, Python)
- New integrations (agent frameworks, MCP servers)
- Documentation improvements
- Test coverage improvements

## Contributor License Agreement (CLA)

**All contributors must sign a CLA before their contributions can be merged.**

The CLA grants Learning Nodes the right to:
- Include your contributions in all versions of Elen (open-source and commercial)
- Dual-license contributions (AGPL-3.0 for community, commercial license for enterprises)

This is standard practice for open-core projects (used by GitLab, Supabase, and others). It ensures that Learning Nodes can:
- Offer a hosted/managed version of Elen
- Provide enterprise features built on top of the open-source core
- Maintain a sustainable business that funds continued open-source development

The CLA does **not** transfer your copyright — you retain full ownership of your contributions.

## Trademarks

"Elen" and "Learning Nodes" are trademarks of Learning Nodes. Forks and derivative works may not use these names without written permission.

## Development Setup

```bash
# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/LearningNodes/Elen.git
cd Elen

# Install dependencies (when packages are available)
npm install

# Run tests
npm test
```

## Questions?

Open a [Discussion](https://github.com/LearningNodes/Elen/discussions) or reach out to the maintainers.