DPDK is built by a global community of developers. Contributing code is how you make a direct impact on the project. No prior open source experience required, just follow the workflow, write code, and submit.
Why Contribute Code to DPDK?
Every contribution, from a one-line fix to a major feature, makes the project better for everyone.
Solve Real Problems
DPDK runs in production at companies worldwide. Your code has immediate, measurable impact on real systems.
Learn from Experts
Your patches get reviewed by maintainers who wrote the networking stack. Every review is a learning opportunity.
Build Visibility
Your contributions are public, permanent, and credited. This is work you can point to when it matters.
Step 2: Make Your Change
Fix a bug, add a feature, improve documentation — whatever you’re working on. Keep the change focused. One logical change per commit. Mixing unrelated changes in a single commit makes review harder and makes it harder to revert if something goes wrong.
Step 3: Write a Clear Commit Message
The title should be short and specific — use a subsystem prefix like net/ixgbe: or doc:. The body explains what the problem was and how you fixed it. Every commit must include a Signed-off-by line — this certifies you wrote it or have the right to contribute it.
git commit --signoffGood title: net/ixgbe: fix packet loss under high load Bad title: <code style="background:#f7f5f0 !important;border:1px solid #e5e3dc
