We're excited that you're interested in contributing to the Meshtastic firmware! This document provides a high-level overview of how you can get involved.
## Important First Steps
Before you begin, please:
1.**Read our documentation**: Our [official documentation](https://meshtastic.org/docs/) is a crucial resource. It contains essential information about the project, including setup guides, feature explanations, and contribution guidelines.
2.**Check out the firmware build guide**: For specific instructions on setting up your development environment and building the firmware, refer to our [Firmware Build Guide](https://meshtastic.org/docs/development/firmware/build/).
We encourage open communication and discussion before diving into code changes:
1.**Use GitHub Discussions**: For new ideas, questions, or to discuss potential changes, start a conversation in our [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/meshtastic/firmware/discussions) first. This helps us collaborate and avoid duplicate work.
2.**Join our Discord**: For real-time chat and quick questions, join our [Discord server](https://discord.com/invite/ktMAKGBnBs). It's a great place to get help and connect with other developers and the community.
3.**Reporting Issues**: If you've identified a bug, please use our bug report template when creating a new issue in the [issue tracker](https://github.com/meshtastic/firmware/issues). Ensure you've searched existing issues to avoid duplicates.
## Making Contributions
1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix
