Transition from CLA to DCO
Starting July 1, 2025, OpenInfra Foundation projects have transitioned from requiring Contributor License Agreements (CLAs) to using the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) approach. This change eliminates friction for new contributors while maintaining the legal clarity needed for open source projects. The DCO is simpler, more transparent, and aligns with industry best practices used by major projects like the Linux kernel, Docker, Git, and many others.
How DCO Works
In order to clarify the intellectual property license granted with contributions from any person or entity, OpenInfra Foundation projects use the Apache License, Version 2.0 with the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO). The DCO is an attestation attached to every contribution made by every developer. Contributors simply add a Signed-off-by statement to their commit message, thereby agreeing to the Developer Certificate of Origin 1.1:
Developer Certificate of Origin 1.1
By making a contribution to this project, I certify that:
(a) The contribution was created in whole or in part by me and I have the right to submit it under the open source license indicated in the file; or
(b) The contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best of my knowledge, is covered under an appropriate open source license and I have the right under that license to submit that work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part by me, under the same open source license (unless I am permitted to submit under a different license), as indicated in the file; or
(c) The contribution was provided directly to me by some other person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and I have not modified it.
(d) I understand and agree that this project and the contribution are public and that a record of the contribution (including all personal information I submit with it, including my sign-off) is maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with this project or the open source license(s) involved.
Getting Started
For detailed instructions on using DCO, including how to sign your commits and configure your development environment, please see the OpenStack DCO documentation. This comprehensive guide covers the technical details of implementing DCO in your contribution workflow.
Need Help?
If you need assistance with the DCO process or have questions about contributing to OpenInfra Foundation projects, please contact [email protected].