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Asked: 2026-06-03T21:23:35+00:00

I am new to Github. I have ported a small open source Github C

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I am new to Github. I have ported a small open source Github C project to C++. I have added a new method, renamed most of the methods to more descriptive names, deleted a bunch of redundant (in my opinion) methods, cleaned up the comments, made it OO, etc.

I have not contacted the original authors about this yet. So, I’m wondering what the proper etiquette is. Should I contact them and ask to collaborate on the project? Should I tell them what I am doing, and if they don’t agree, then what?

Or, should I simply create my own version of this project on Github and retain control?

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    For massive refactoring on a project which isn’t on GitHub to begin with, one way to move forward is to:

    • import the original code (at least the HEAD) to GitHub
    • apply your modifications and push them on this GitHub repo
    • contact the authors and ask them to fork your project: they will be able to control their own version of their code, and collaborate with you through pull request.

    Keeping both GitHub repos separate allows for a cleaner separation of concern (massive refactoring for you, legacy support for them) between repos.

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