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title: "FreeBSD Project Members"
sidenav: docs
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include::shared/en/urls.adoc[]

= FreeBSD Project Members

A FreeBSD Project Member is an individual who has made a notable contribution to the FreeBSD Project, and who is continuing to contribute to the Project.
That may be in the form of new code, documentation, or patches to existing code and documentation, or in other ways that the Core Team designates, including community management and advocacy.

== Committers

Committers are those Project members who have been granted commit access (a "commit bit") to one or more of the Project's repositories.
To get a current list of the FreeBSD Committers you can check link:{contributors}#staff-committers[this list].

== Member Benefits:

* an @freebsd.org email address which also gives them regular Bugzilla and Phabricator logins
* permission to assign bugs to themselves in bugzilla
* access to freefall and the universe build machines
* access to the test clusters
* the right to attend developer summits
* access to the developers@ mailing list

== Committer Benefits:

In addition to the Ordinary Member benefits, active Committers (those who have made a commit within the previous year) are able to vote in Core elections.

== Member Responsibilities:

All Members should ensure that all contributed material:

* adheres to the Project's standards and practices.
* is correctly attributed to its authors.
* has appropriate licensing. Where this is the original work of the Project Member, the standard FreeBSD license is preferred.

Members MUST create SSH and PGP keys in order to gain access to Project resources.

Members are bound by the Project's Code of Conduct, particularly when representing the Project in external fora.

Member status is conferred by a ballot of Core members, or by a ballot of other groups that Core may designate such as Portmgr or Doceng.
Any FreeBSD Committer or Member may propose candidates for member status.

Core, or groups designated by Core that award Member status, should review that status at least once annually and retire inactive accounts.
There is no formal definition of inactive accounts. Core and the designated teams may use their own discretion.

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== FAQ:

Is a mentor assigned to each newly created Project Member?

* Project Members are only assigned a mentor if they become a committer, or if they have a commit bit reactivated after a significant period of inactivity. This only applies to Committers since the primary purpose of a mentor is to review what the mentee intends to commit.
 
* No such formal arrangement is required when someone is made into an ordinary Project Member, but it is expected that the people that sponsor a new Member will assist them with setting up their accounts and gaining access to Project resources and so forth.

Do you have to become an Ordinary Member before you can be granted a commit bit?

* No. There is no requirement for prospective Committers to have spent time as Ordinary Members. However it is anticipated that this will become a common practice as part of the route towards committer-hood.

Do Committers who have given up their commit bits effectively become just Ordinary Members?

* All Committers are Project members, but former Committers are considered Committer Alumni. Alumni may revert back to active Committers simply by requesting reinstatement of their commit access.

How does this affect the existing 3rd Party Developer status?

* Existing 3rd Party Developers will be promoted to Project Members.
