Getting started

Why contribute to Elixpo

• Real projects, used in public. Every idea belongs to a codebase that Elixpo operates or releases publicly, as a hosted service, an npm package or a Debian package. The projects page lists them.
• Two mentors on every idea. A primary mentor is your main contact; a backup mentor knows the project and can step in.
• Review by people. Mentors review all work personally. Automated checks are evidence for a review, not a replacement for it.
• Credit for your work. Elixpo publishes contribution records for attributable public work at elixpo.com/contributors, each with a stable record ID and links to its evidence. Credit points to work such as merged changes, reviews, releases and documentation; commit count alone is not the measure.
• A path beyond the summer. The contributor is invited to keep reviewing and maintaining the part they built.

What each project is for

• LixBlogs is a collaborative blogging platform with an API and a command-line tool, where many publications run on one deployment. Ideas: read-access policy and CLI automation contract.
• LixSketch is an end-to-end encrypted canvas for sketches, diagrams and documents. Idea: accessible canvas.
• Crumb is a self-hosted agent harness and natural-language terminal, written in Rust, that controls what AI agents may do. Idea: connector contract.
• Elixpo Open Source is a platform, in development, for running open-source contests and mentoring programmes. Idea: contest-scoring engine.
• Oreo is an open MicroPython operating system and hardware design for an ESP32-S3 conference badge. Idea: desktop simulator.

Step by step

1. Read the ideas and choose one or two. Read the ideas list and each idea page in full: the problem, expected outcomes, out-of-scope items and how success is measured. Why: a proposal must answer one idea's problem. Done when: you can explain the problem in your own words.
2. Set up the project locally. Follow the warm-up page for your project: it gives the exact commands from the repository, how to tell they worked and any known limitations. No private keys needed: you do not need any Elixpo key, password, account or paid service to build the code and run the tests for your idea; see configuration and access. Why: every later step depends on a working setup. Done when: the project builds and its tests run. If a step asks for a secret, report it as a setup issue: it is a defect in our instructions, and fixing it is a valid first contribution.
3. Complete a warm-up task. Each idea page lists warm-up tasks, and the warm-up page links them for each project. Why: it shows you how the code is organised and gives mentors evidence of your work. Done when: you have finished one task and recorded what you learned.
4. Introduce yourself. Write to gsoc@elixpo.com with the idea you intend to apply for, your background and a link to your warm-up work. GitHub Discussions for GSoC 2027 will open once Google announces the programme dates. Use the programme address rather than mentors' personal accounts, so that every message reaches both mentors on the idea. Done when: a mentor has replied.
5. Make a first small pull request and respond to review. Fix a small defect, add a test or improve the documentation in the repository for your idea. State what you changed and how you tested it, and disclose meaningful use of AI tools as the AI policy requires. Why: review is how mentors and contributors work together. A small, finished, reviewed change carries more weight than a large unfinished one. Done when: the pull request is merged or closed after review.
6. Draft your proposal and share it early. Use the proposal template and read the selection criteria. Send the draft to gsoc@elixpo.com so that the mentors can comment on it. Done when: you have revised the draft after feedback.
7. Submit on the official GSoC website before the deadline. Read the Google Summer of Code rules and Google's contributor guide. Google sets eligibility, the number of proposals you may submit and the deadline; see the timeline. Done when: your final proposal appears on the official GSoC website.
8. What happens next. Mentors read every proposal and interview shortlisted applicants; Google allocates contributor slots and announces the results. A selected contributor then meets the mentors in the community bonding period, agrees milestones and a communication plan, and starts coding. Mentors complete Google's evaluations at the midterm and at the end of the programme; How we run the programme sets out the weekly cadence and how evaluations work. If you are not selected, your merged work remains part of the project and you are welcome to keep contributing.

Configuration and access

• Before acceptance. The warm-up tasks and the core of every idea run locally without decrypting any Elixpo configuration. Local databases, fixtures and fake services stand in for real ones; features that need real services are skipped or mocked. The warm-up page gives the commands for each project.
• Encrypted configuration. Elixpo uses SOPS to keep configuration encrypted in its repositories. Do not try to decrypt configuration or commit it. If setup asks you for a secret, report it as a setup issue in the repository.
• After acceptance. The organisation administrators grant SOPS access scoped to what the project needs, for example integration tests or a staging environment, and revoke it when the programme ends. Never share keys. Access follows the Code of Conduct and the commitment on the agreements page.

What we expect from you

• Ownership. You are responsible for your work and your communication; respect the time of reviewers and other applicants.
• Careful work. Review your own pull request before asking for review, keep changes focused, and test what you submit.
• Clear communication. Ask specific questions, report progress regularly, and tell your mentors early when you are blocked or your availability changes.
• Honesty. Write your own proposal, disclose meaningful use of AI tools, and never claim work or results that do not exist.
• Conduct. Follow the Code of Conduct in every Elixpo space.

What you can expect from us

• Timely replies. Mentors aim to reply within 48 hours on weekdays.
• Two mentors. A primary and a backup mentor on every idea, so that you always have support.
• Honest feedback. Written review on your pull requests and comments on your draft proposal.
• Human decisions. Mentors review all work personally and make every decision.
• Published commitments. Every mentor and administrator signs the commitments published on the agreements page.

Communication channels

GitHub Discussions for GSoC 2027 will open once Google announces the programme dates. Until then, write to gsoc@elixpo.com.

If you have not received a reply within 48 hours on weekdays, send a reminder in the same email thread.