New developer#

Welcome to the New Developer Onboarding

Use this as your roadmap — start here, then move through the phases below. This page guides you through everything you need to know as a new SKAO developer.

Learn more about the SKAO project

Quick start: first 5 steps#

Recommended actions to get you up and running.

👤

Set up accounts

Create your GitLab account and request access to SKAO repositories
💬

Join Slack channels

Connect with the team on #proj-onboarding and your team channel
🦊

Set up GitLab account

Configure SSH keys and clone your first repository
📚

Read Code of Conduct

Understand our community standards and expectations
⚡

Download onboarding checklist

Get a printable checklist to track your progress

How to contribute to SKAO#

Follow these guidelines to contribute to SKAO projects.

Start with the code of conduct#

Read the SKAO Code of Conduct before contributing. This sets expectations for all SKAO interactions.

Understand the workflow#

Follow these steps to contribute:

  1. Check repository-specific policies: Each repository may have unique contribution requirements

  2. Clone or fork the repository: Get the code locally

  3. Create a feature branch: Follow our Branching policy

  4. Make your changes: Write code and tests

  5. Open a Merge Request: Repository maintainers will review your contribution

Tip

Read the Working with GitLab guide to understand our workflow.

Follow coding standards#

Adhere to the Coding guidelines for your programming language.

Most repositories run automated checks:

  • Python: PEP-8 linting

  • Other languages: Check the repository’s CI/CD pipeline for specific standards

Write clear documentation#

Tools we use:

  • Sphinx for documentation generation

  • reStructuredText for markup

  • ReadTheDocs for hosting

File naming conventions:

  • Use hyphens: environment-setup.rst

  • Avoid underscores: environment_setup.rst

Heading structure:

Follow Thomas Cokelaer’s heading syntax for consistency.

Write in active voice#

Use “you” to address readers:

✅ “Configure your environment with these steps”

❌ “The environment must be configured”

Use singular “they” for gender-neutral references:

✅ “If a developer needs help, they must contact the System Team”

❌ “If a developer needs help, he/she must contact the System Team”

Ensure accessibility#

Images must have:

  • Adequate contrast (test by viewing in black and white)

  • Alt-text for screen readers

Add alt-text to all images unless the information appears in a figure caption.

Read the guide to writing good alt-text for best practices.

Contribute to this portal#

Found an issue with this documentation? See Contribute to the developer portal.

Onboarding roadmap#

Your journey from Day 1 to becoming a contributing team member.

Day 1
›
Week 1
›
Month 1
›
Month 3
Day 1
Meet your Scrum Master or team lead
Your Scrum Master is your first point of contact for questions. If you work at the program or solution level, your Solution Engineer or Release Train Engineer will guide you.
Set up your development environment
Follow the environment setup guide to configure your local machine with Git, Docker, and your preferred IDE.
Read the SKAO Code of Conduct
Read and understand the Code of Conduct — it governs all SKAO interactions and shapes how we work together.
Join the Slack workspace
Introduce yourself in #proj-onboarding and join your team's channel. Use Slack for day-to-day questions and discussions.
Explore the SKAO website
Visit the SKAO website to learn about the Square Kilometre Array, its history, how it operates, and the Operational Programme.
Week 1
Complete your GitLab setup
Configure your SSH keys, clone your team's repositories, and explore our GitLab workflow. All SKAO code lives here.
Attend your first team ceremonies
Join your first standup, planning session, or retrospective. These Agile ceremonies keep the team aligned and drive how SKAO works.
Review the contribution guidelines
Read the contribution guidelines to understand our branching policy, code review process, and merge request workflow.
Make your first contribution
Submit even a small commit! This helps you learn the workflow and confirms your environment works correctly.
Learn where to get help
Know who to ask. your Scrum Master for process questions, team members for code questions, and Slack channels for broader topics.
Month 1
Explore the monitoring dashboards
Check the Monitoring Dashboards for STFC Cluster to see our prototype running and the data we collect about it.
Learn SKAO naming conventions
Review the naming conventions for code, repositories, containers, and other artefacts. Clear naming keeps our work understandable.
Complete required training modules
Work with your Scrum Master to identify training gaps, then check the training pages on Confluence for available resources.
Participate in code reviews
Start reviewing your teammates' merge requests. You'll learn the codebase quickly and absorb team standards along the way.
Understand CI/CD pipelines
Learn how our CI/CD pipelines run tests, build artefacts, and deploy code to our clusters.
Month 3
Attend an SKAO Onboarding session
Join one of the quarterly onboarding sessions. You'll gain deeper context about the project now that you have more experience.
Complete SAFe for Teams training
Take this training to learn the Scaled Agile Framework that SKAO uses and see how your team fits into the broader programme.
Give a demo or lightning talk
Share something you've learned or built with the wider team. You'll contribute to the community and get valuable feedback.
Learn about ECPs (Engineering Change Proposals)
Understand the ECP process — you'll need it for major architectural changes and larger contributions.
Share feedback on the onboarding process
You've completed formal onboarding! Share your thoughts in #proj-onboarding or contribute improvements directly to the Developer Portal.