Mavkit Merge Team

The Mavkit merge team is a group of developers from different teams of the Mavryk ecosystem. They are automatically selected as approvers when you create a merge request.

Mavkit Merge Team Scope

The role of the Mavkit Merge Team is limited to ensuring the quality of what gets merged into Mavkit, i.e. all of mavryk-network/mavryk-protocol except src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/. By quality, we mean ensuring that the code is as good as it can be, be it at the implementation level or the architecture level.

The Mavkit merge team does not decide what contributions are included in the next protocol (src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/). Companies that contribute to mavryk-network/mavryk-protocol reach a consensus to decide what gets in the Alpha protocol, i.e. in the proposal of the next upgrade. In particular, other companies can fork this repository and do their own protocol proposals.

Merge Coordinator

The merge coordinator is a member of the Mavkit merge team whose role is to make sure the merge request (MR) process is going smoothly. Duties of the merge coordinator include:

  • Make sure merge requests follow the MR workflow: the assignee is correct, the reviewers are correct; and the draft status is correct.

  • Supervise ready MRs to ensure that the right actions are being taken; advise how to make them move forward.

  • Assist with removing blockers, organize the optimal sequencing of MRs.

  • Assist with notifying blocking persons that they are a bottleneck: find MRs blocked on review and ask updates to the blocking reviewer, find another reviewer if relevant.

  • Actually perform MR reviews/approvals where appropriate, upgrade approvals from outside the Mavkit merge team when relevant.

  • Coordinate with and alert developers working on CI in the case of problems that affect the flow of MRs.

  • Help MR authors understand their responsibilities.

  • Coordinate with leaders of the various companies of the Mavryk ecosystem to make sure the process is understood and shared.

  • Improve and augment the documentation about the MR process.

To make it easy to find out who the current merge coordinator is, meta-issue 1062 is assigned to the merge coordinator. Don’t hesitate to contact the merge coordinator if you think you can benefit of their help to move your merge request forward.

Getting into the Mavkit Merge Team

The Mavkit merge team is always looking for software engineers with at least the following qualities:

  • You are an active developer on the mavryk-network/mavryk-protocol repository.

  • You have done numerous reviews and merge requests in the past, i.e. you have shown your expertise and interest in contributing both with code and reviews.

  • You are paying attention to detail and are on the lookout for possible errors, security issues, and/or enhancements in your reviews. It’s fine not knowing the entire codebase (no one does), but you should nevertheless actively try to make the code of others better when you do reviews.

  • You are well capable in software design and can identify subpar design choices.

  • One way to show attention to detail and to design is to show these qualities in your own merge requests. You should also be willing to amend your merge requests by taking into account the feedback of reviewers, be it for small changes or architectural changes.

  • You know when your expertise is insufficient and you are keen to ask for support.

  • You are relatively skilled in one of the technologies used in the mavryk-network/mavryk-protocol repository, i.e. OCaml, python, CI, building, packaging, etc.

To apply for being included in the Mavkit merge team, contact the merge coordinator or an existing member on the mavryk-dev Slack. Your application will be discussed during the next weekly meeting of the Mavkit merge team.

Helping the Mavkit Merge Team

Even if you are not in the Mavkit merge team, you can help it! If you review a merge request and you think it is ready to be merged, you should click the Approve button even if your approval “doesn’t count”.

If the merge request is not critical, or if you are knowledgeable on the merge request topic; your approval will make it easier for an Mavkit merge team member to approve too. This is also an excellent way to show your skills and willingness to move development forward, contributing to potentially making you an Mavkit merge team member in the future (see Getting into the Mavkit Merge Team above).