Development Workflow

Now that you have everything set up, here’s the typical development workflow. Commands with $ are on your host, commands with # are inside the container.

The Contribution Cycle

1. Find an issue to work on

Browse the GeoServer issue tracker:

• GitHub Issues: https://github.com/geoserver/geoserver/issues
• Look for labels: “good first issue”, “beginner-friendly”, “documentation”

2. Create a feature branch

Inside the container:

# cd /workspace/geoserver
# git checkout main
# git pull upstream main
# git checkout -b fix/issue-1234-description

3. Make your changes

Edit code using your IDE or SSH. Test locally by:

• Building: mvn install -T 2C (inside container)
• Running: start-geoserver.sh (inside container)
• Testing in browser: http://localhost:8080/geoserver

4. Write tests

GeoServer requires tests for most contributions:

# cd /workspace/geoserver/src
# mvn test -pl main

5. Commit and push

# git add .
# git commit -m "Fix issue #1234: Description of fix"
# git push origin fix/issue-1234-description

6. Create Pull Request

1. Navigate to your fork on GitHub
2. Click “Compare & pull request”
3. Fill in the PR description:
   • What issue does this fix?
   • What changes did you make?
   • How did you test it?
4. Submit to the upstream repository

7. Respond to feedback

Maintainers will review your PR and may request changes. Make updates:

# git add .
# git commit -m "Address review feedback"
# git push origin fix/issue-1234-description

The PR updates automatically when you push to your branch.