# FreeGuide Developers: CVS rules

If you have developer access to the CVS repository, don't commit anything unless you have explicit permission from Andy Balaam. Instead, send a patch file to the developers' mailing list and wait for permission to apply it. The exception to this is when someone has been given control of a particular file or files, for example if you have made a translation - in that case you may modify your translation file freely.

When you do a cvs commit, run Jalopy on all the .java files first. You may do this using the Ant task provided in build.xml, or a plugin for your IDE, or via the console. The required freeguide-jalopy.xml convention file is in the src directory in CVS. Please remember to do this to prevent CVS noise with changes to layout after the event.

Under normal circumstances, you will be given CVS access when you have demonstrated an understanding of the code by submitting some good patches to the developers' mailing list.