Contributing

​

Overview

​

What to Contribute

​

Common Areas for Contribution

1. Fix plugin deprecation warnings
   • Update deprecated API calls
   • Fix outdated patterns and options
   • Apply fixes from master to other branches
2. Update outdated configurations
   • Mason LSP folder structure changes
   • nvim-cmp window.documentation updates
   • Nerd Fonts v3.0 icon updates
3. Improve documentation
   • Clarify setup instructions
   • Add troubleshooting tips
   • Document common issues
4. Update plugin versions
   • Re-pin plugins to stable versions
   • Test compatibility with Neovim v0.9+
   • Verify all functionality works

​

Finding Issues

• In the plugin’s vimdoc (typically in doc/)
• In the plugin’s README
• By searching through Issues and Pull Requests on the plugin’s GitHub page

​

Common Issues to Fix

​

1. Mason LSP Changes

​

2. nvim-cmp Deprecation Warning

[nvim-cmp] Please use window.documentation = cmp.config.window.bordered() instead.

-- Old
window = {
  documentation = "native",
}

-- New
window = {
  documentation = cmp.config.window.bordered(),
}

​

3. cmp-nvim-lsp Deprecation Warning

cmp_nvim_lsp.update_capabilities is deprecated, use cmp_nvim_lsp.default_capabilities instead.

-- Old
local capabilities = require("cmp_nvim_lsp").update_capabilities(
  vim.lsp.protocol.make_client_capabilities()
)

-- New
local capabilities = require("cmp_nvim_lsp").default_capabilities()

​

4. Nerd Fonts v3.0 Icons

• lua/user/lualine.lua
• lua/user/nvim-tree.lua
• lua/user/gitsigns.lua
• lua/user/alpha.lua

​

5. Plugin Version Updates

​

Contribution Workflow

​

1. Fork the Project

1. Navigate to Neovim-from-scratch
2. Click Fork
3. Uncheck “Copy the master branch only” to get all branches

​

2. Clone to Your Machine

# Back up your current config first!
mv ~/.config/nvim ~/.config/nvim.bak

# Clone your fork
git clone [email protected]:YOUR-USERNAME/Neovim-from-scratch.git ~/.config/nvim

​

3. Sync Your Fork

cd ~/.config/nvim

# Add upstream remote
git remote add upstream [email protected]:LunarVim/Neovim-from-scratch.git

# Fetch latest changes
git fetch upstream

# Switch to the branch you want to work on
git checkout 11-gitsigns

# Merge upstream changes
git merge upstream/11-gitsigns

​

4. Create a New Branch

git branch fix-11-gitsigns

• What you’re fixing
• Which branch it’s for

• fix-cmp-deprecation-08-treesitter
• update-mason-lsp-15-lsp
• update-nerdfonts-icons-master

​

5. Make Your Changes

git checkout fix-11-gitsigns
nvim

• Make focused, atomic changes
• Fix one issue at a time
• Follow existing code style
• Test thoroughly

​

6. Test Your Changes

# Save and quit
:wq

# Reopen Neovim to test
nvim ~/.config/nvim

• No errors on startup
• :checkhealth passes
• Affected plugins work correctly
• Keybindings still function
• LSP features work (if applicable)
• No deprecation warnings

​

7. Commit Your Changes

git add .
git commit -m "fix: replace outdated GitSigns icons for Nerd Fonts v3.0"

• fix: update cmp window.documentation to bordered()
• fix: replace deprecated update_capabilities with default_capabilities
• chore: update plugin pins to match nvim-basic-ide
• docs: clarify Mason installation steps

type: brief description

- Detailed explanation (if needed)
- Why the change was necessary
- What was changed

• fix: - Bug fixes
• feat: - New features
• docs: - Documentation changes
• chore: - Maintenance tasks
• refactor: - Code refactoring

​

8. Push to Your Fork

git push origin fix-11-gitsigns

​

9. Open a Pull Request

1. Go to your fork on GitHub
2. Click Contribute → Open pull request
3. Select your branch from the dropdown
4. Fill out the PR description

## Description

Brief summary of changes

## Related Issues

Fixes #123
Related to #456

## Changes Made

- Updated deprecated cmp API
- Fixed Nerd Fonts v3.0 icons
- Updated plugin pins

## Testing

- [x] Tested on Neovim v0.9.0
- [x] No errors on startup
- [x] All affected features work correctly
- [x] `:checkhealth` passes

## Branch

11-gitsigns

​

Pull Request Guidelines

​

What Makes a Good PR

• Fixes a specific issue
• Well-tested changes
• Clear commit messages
• References related issues
• Focused on one problem
• Includes explanation of changes

• Multiple unrelated changes
• Untested changes
• Vague commit messages
• No issue references
• Breaking existing functionality
• Large refactors without discussion

​

Code Style

• Indentation: 2 spaces (Lua)
• Line length: ~100 characters
• Comments: Use for complex logic
• Naming: snake_case for Lua, kebab-case for files

​

Testing Requirements

1. Test on a clean install:
   rm -rf ~/.local/share/nvim
   nvim
   
2. Run health checks:
   :checkhealth
   
3. Test affected functionality:
   • Open relevant files
   • Use affected features
   • Verify no errors
4. Check for warnings:
   :messages
   

​

Getting Help

​

Where to Ask Questions

• General support: Matrix channels
• Bug reports: GitHub Issues
• Plugin-specific: Check the plugin’s repository

​

Resources

• Neovim documentation: :help
• Lua guide: :help lua-guide
• LSP documentation: :help lsp
• Plugin docs: Usually in doc/ folder or README

​

Recognition

• Listed in the repository’s contributor graph
• Acknowledged in release notes for significant contributions
• Helping thousands of Neovim users

​

After Your PR is Merged

1. Update your fork:
   git checkout master
   git fetch upstream
   git merge upstream/master
   git push origin master
   
2. Delete your feature branch:
   git branch -d fix-11-gitsigns
   git push origin --delete fix-11-gitsigns
   
3. Celebrate! You’ve made a valuable contribution! 🎉🎊

​

Thank You!