Freedom-Loader/CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing to Freedom Loader

Welcome! Thanks for your interest in Freedom Loader. Your contributions—bug reports, feature ideas, or code improvements—are always appreciated. Every contribution makes Freedom Loader better.

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Quick Links

• Code of Conduct
• Issue Templates
• Pull Request Templates
• Security Policy

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Ways to Contribute

1. Report a Bug

Found a bug or unexpected behavior? Open an issue using the Bug Report template.

Please include:

• Clear description of the bug
• Steps to reproduce
• App version and environment (Windows version, Firefox version if relevant)
• Logs from: C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\FreedomLoader\logs\LOGS-YYYY-MM-DD.log
• Screenshots if applicable

2. Request a Feature

Have an idea to improve Freedom Loader? Open a Feature Request.

Tips:

• Describe the problem it solves
• Explain your proposed solution
• Include use cases and examples

3. Submit Code Changes

Before starting:

• Check existing issues and PRs to avoid duplicates
• For major changes, open an issue first to discuss
• Follow the project's code style and conventions

Process:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly on Windows 10/11
5. Commit with clear messages: git commit -m "Add feature X"
6. Push to your fork: git push origin feature/your-feature-name
7. Open a Pull Request using the appropriate template

Code Guidelines:

• Use camelCase for variables and functions
• Comment complex logic
• Keep commits focused and atomic
• Update documentation if needed
• Don't modify version numbers (done during release)

4. Improve Documentation

Documentation improvements are always welcome:

• Fix typos or unclear sections
• Add missing examples
• Update outdated information
• Improve README, wiki, or guides

Small contributions matter—don't hesitate to submit documentation PRs.

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Development Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js 16.x or higher
• npm or yarn
• Git
• Windows 10/11 (for testing)

Setup

# Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/Freedom-Loader.git
cd Freedom-Loader

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run in development mode
npm start

# Build for production
npm run build

Project Structure

Freedom-Loader/
├── main.js           # Electron main process
├── preload.js        # Electron preload script
├── config.js         # Global configuration
├── server/           # Express backend
│   ├── routes/       # API routes
│   ├── controller/   # Business logic
│   └── helpers/      # Utility functions
├── public/           # Frontend (HTML, CSS, JS)
└── resources/       # Binaries (yt-dlp, ffmpeg, etc.)

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Testing

Before submitting a PR, verify:

• Download functionality works (video/audio)
• Playlist downloads work
• Settings panel functions correctly
• Custom path selection works
• No errors in application logs
• UI changes work on all themes (if applicable)
• Tested on Windows 10 and/or Windows 11

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Pull Request Review Process

1. Submission: Open PR with clear description using the template
2. Review: Maintainers review code and provide feedback
3. Updates: Address feedback and push updates
4. Approval: Once approved, PR will be merged
5. Release: Changes included in next release

Response times:

• Bug fixes: Usually reviewed within 2-3 days
• Features: May take longer depending on complexity
• Documentation: Often reviewed quickly

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Code of Conduct

Be respectful and constructive in all interactions. We welcome everyone as long as discussions remain polite and productive.

See CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md for details.

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Questions?

• Check the FAQ
• Review the Wiki
• Open a Question issue

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Credits

Thanks to Zakaria for the website icon design.
Check out his work: IG @designmark_studio

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Thank you for contributing to Freedom Loader!