strix/CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to Strix

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Strix! This guide will help you get started with development and contributions.

🚀 Development Setup

Prerequisites

• mise — provisions the toolchain (Python 3.12, uv, Node + the docs CLI) and runs project tasks
• Docker (running) — install separately; mise manages CLIs/runtimes, not the Docker daemon
• Git

Local Development

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/usestrix/strix.git
   cd strix
   

2. Install the toolchain (Python + uv, as pinned in mise.toml)

   # The first time you use mise in this repo, trust the config first:
   mise trust
   mise install
   

3. Install development dependencies

   mise setup-dev
   
   # or manually:
   uv sync
   uv run pre-commit install
   

4. Configure your LLM provider

   export STRIX_LLM="openai/gpt-5.4"
   export LLM_API_KEY="your-api-key"
   

5. Run Strix in development mode

   uv run strix --target https://example.com
   

📚 Contributing Skills

Skills are specialized knowledge packages that enhance agent capabilities. See strix/skills/README.md for detailed guidelines.

Quick Guide

1. Choose the right category (/vulnerabilities, /frameworks, /technologies, etc.)
2. Create a .md file with your skill content
3. Include practical examples - Working payloads, commands, or test cases
4. Provide validation methods - How to confirm findings and avoid false positives
5. Submit via PR with clear description

🔧 Contributing Code

Pull Request Process

1. Create an issue first - Describe the problem or feature
2. Fork and branch - Work from the main branch
3. Make your changes - Follow existing code style
4. Write/update tests - Ensure coverage for new features
5. Run quality checks - mise check-all should pass
6. Submit PR - Link to issue and provide context

PR Guidelines

• Clear description - Explain what and why
• Small, focused changes - One feature/fix per PR
• Include examples - Show before/after behavior
• Update documentation - If adding features
• Pass all checks - Tests, linting, type checking

Code Style

• Follow PEP 8 with 100-character line limit
• Use type hints for all functions
• Write docstrings for public methods
• Keep functions focused and small
• Use meaningful variable names

🐛 Reporting Issues

When reporting bugs, please include:

• Python version and OS
• Strix version
• LLMs being used
• Full error traceback
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior

💡 Feature Requests

We welcome feature ideas! Please:

• Check existing issues first
• Describe the use case clearly
• Explain why it would benefit users
• Consider implementation approach
• Be open to discussion

🤝 Community

• Discord: Join our community
• Issues: GitHub Issues

✨ Recognition

We value all contributions! Contributors will be:

• Listed in release notes
• Thanked in our Discord
• Added to contributors list (coming soon)

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Questions? Reach out on Discord or create an issue. We're here to help!