# Contributing to Episteme

Thank you for considering contributing to Episteme!

## The Open-Core Model & Why We Use a CLA

Episteme is built by an independent developer (Aryan Raj) using an **Open-Core** model. This means:

1. The core application (this repository) is 100% open-source under the **AGPL** license.
2. To sustain the project's development, there is also a proprietary, commercial **Episteme** version available on the Google Play Store.

Because the AGPL is a strict "copyleft" license, any code you contribute here is implicitly AGPL. If I were to put your AGPL code into the Play Store version, the Play Store version would legally be forced to become fully open-source as well.

To solve this, we require a **Contributor License Agreement (CLA)**.

By signing the CLA, you are saying: *"I still own my code, but I give Aryan Raj permission to use it in both the open-source repo and the proprietary Play Store app."*

You can read the full CLA [here](CLA.md).

This allows the open-source version to thrive while keeping the project sustainable.

## How to Submit a Pull Request

1. Fork the repository and create your branch from `main`.
2. Make your changes and commit them with clear, descriptive messages.
3. Open a Pull Request!
4. **Sign the CLA:** When you open your first PR, the [CLA Assistant](https://cla-assistant.io/) bot will automatically comment with a link. Simply click the link, sign in with GitHub, and click "I agree." **This is a one-time process** — once signed, it covers all your future contributions to Episteme.

## Questions?

If you have any questions about the CLA, contributing, or anything else, feel free to open an issue or reach out.

Thank you for helping make Episteme better for everyone!