Once you have created a patch that you would like to see included in a FOSS project, it's important to submit the patch in a manner appropriate for that project. In some cases, this may mean creating a patch with certain flags passed to the diff command; in other cases, it may mean writing an email to a development email list attaching your patch file and writing a description of the code change. When in doubt, ask a developer! Most developers would be very happy to help you submit your first patch as they know it may lead to you contributing even more to the project.
Here are some general guidelines to follow submitting a patch:
If your patch is related to an existing ticket or bug report, either update the ticket to include your patch or if the patch needs to be submitted externally, be sure to reference the bug or ticket number so that people are aware of the connection.
In most cases, you should create a patch against the current HEAD of the development tree. If your patch was created against another version of the code, be sure to make that known.
Don't be surprised or offended if your patch is not accepted for inclusion into a project's code. This can happen for a number of reasons:
Your code may not meet coding guidelines for the project. Don't let this discourage you. This is a great opportunity to improve your coding skills by learning what is required for this particular project and then re-submit another patch.
One of the main developers on the project may think you've provided a useful idea, but that it may need to be implemented in a different way. Again, don't get discouraged should this happen, but try to use it as a learning opportunity.
