How to Contribute to OpenManus: A Guide for Developers

Why Contribute to OpenManus?

OpenManus is an exciting open-source project that aims to democratize access to AI agent technology. Unlike Manus, which requires an invite code, OpenManus is freely available to everyone. Despite being built in just 3 hours by a talented team from MetaGPT, it offers a solid foundation for creating powerful AI agents.

Contributing to OpenManus not only helps improve the project but also gives you valuable experience working with cutting-edge AI technology. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, there are many ways you can contribute to this growing project.

Types of Contributions

There are many ways to contribute to OpenManus, regardless of your skill level or experience:

Code Contributions

• Bug fixes: Help identify and fix issues in the codebase
• Feature development: Implement new features from the roadmap
• Performance improvements: Optimize existing code for better efficiency
• Testing: Create or improve tests to ensure reliability

Documentation

• User guides: Help make OpenManus more accessible to new users
• API documentation: Document functions, classes, and modules
• Tutorials: Create step-by-step guides for common tasks
• Examples: Develop example applications showcasing OpenManus capabilities

Community Support

• Answering questions: Help other users in discussions and forums
• Reporting bugs: Identify and report issues you encounter
• Feature requests: Suggest new features or improvements
• Feedback: Provide feedback on existing features and usability

Getting Started

Ready to contribute? Here's how to get started:

1. Set Up Your Development Environment

First, you'll need to set up OpenManus on your local machine:

# Create a conda environment
conda create -n open_manus python=3.12
conda activate open_manus

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/openmanus-ai/OpenManus.git
cd OpenManus

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Configure API keys
cp config/config.example.toml config/config.toml
# Edit config.toml with your API keys

2. Fork the Repository

To contribute code changes, you'll need to fork the repository on GitHub:

1. Visit https://github.com/openmanus-ai/openmanus
2. Click the "Fork" button in the top-right corner
3. Clone your fork to your local machine
4. Add the original repository as an upstream remote:

   git remote add upstream https://github.com/openmanus-ai/OpenManus.git
   

3. Create a Branch

Always create a new branch for your changes:

git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
# or
git checkout -b fix/issue-you-are-fixing

4. Make Your Changes

Now you can make your changes to the codebase. Be sure to:

• Follow the project's coding style and conventions
• Write clear, commented code
• Add tests for new features
• Update documentation as needed

5. Submit a Pull Request

When your changes are ready:

1. Push your branch to your fork:

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name
   

2. Go to your fork on GitHub and click "New Pull Request"
3. Select your branch and provide a clear description of your changes
4. Submit the pull request

Contribution Guidelines

To ensure your contributions are accepted smoothly, follow these guidelines:

Code Quality

• Write clean, readable code
• Follow PEP 8 style guidelines for Python code
• Include comments where necessary
• Ensure your code passes all existing tests

Pull Requests

• Keep pull requests focused on a single issue or feature
• Provide a clear description of what your changes do
• Reference any related issues
• Be responsive to feedback and be willing to make changes

Communication

• Be respectful and constructive in all interactions
• Ask questions if you're unsure about something
• Explain your reasoning for design decisions
• Be patient with reviewers and other contributors

Current Project Priorities

According to the project roadmap, these are the current priorities for OpenManus development:

• Better Planning: Enhancing the agent's ability to plan and execute complex tasks
• Live Demos: Creating interactive demonstrations of the agent's capabilities
• Replay: Adding functionality to record and replay agent sessions
• RL Fine-tuned Models: Implementing reinforcement learning to improve performance
• Comprehensive Benchmarks: Developing standardized tests to measure and compare agent performance

Contributions in these areas are especially welcome, but improvements in any aspect of the project are appreciated.

Getting Help

If you need help or have questions about contributing:

• Check the existing documentation
• Look through open and closed issues on GitHub

Conclusion

OpenManus is a community-driven project that thrives on contributions from developers like you. By contributing, you're helping to create an accessible alternative to invite-only AI agent platforms and democratizing access to this powerful technology.

Whether you contribute code, documentation, or community support, your efforts make a difference. We look forward to seeing your contributions and working together to make OpenManus even better!