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CONTRIBUTING.md

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+# Contributing to Meshtastic Firmware
+
+We're excited that you're interested in contributing to the Meshtastic firmware! This document provides a high-level overview of how you can get involved.
+
+## Important First Steps
+
+Before you begin, please:
+
+1. **Read our documentation**: Our [official documentation](https://meshtastic.org/docs/) is a crucial resource. It contains essential information about the project.
+
+2. **Check out the firmware build guide**: For specific instructions on setting up your development environment and building the firmware, refer to our [Firmware Build Guide](https://meshtastic.org/docs/development/firmware/build/).
+
+3. Read our [Code of Conduct](https://meshtastic.org/docs/legal/conduct/)
+
+4. Join our [Discord community](https://discord.com/invite/ktMAKGBnBs) to connect with developers and other contributors to get help.
+
+## Getting Help and Discussing Ideas
+
+We encourage open communication and discussion before diving into code changes:
+
+1. **Use GitHub Discussions**: For new ideas, questions, or to discuss potential changes, start a conversation in our [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/meshtastic/firmware/discussions) first. This helps us collaborate and avoid duplicate work.
+
+2. **Join our Discord**: For real-time chat and quick questions, join our [Discord server](https://discord.com/invite/ktMAKGBnBs). It's a great place to get help and connect with other developers and the community.
+
+3. **Reporting Issues**: If you've identified a bug, please use our bug report template when creating a new issue in the [issue tracker](https://github.com/meshtastic/firmware/issues). Ensure you've searched existing issues to avoid duplicates.
+
+## Making Contributions
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Before making any contributions, you must sign our Contributor License Agreement (CLA). You can do this by visiting https://cla-assistant.io/meshtastic/firmware. Be sure to use the GitHub account you will use to submit your contributions when signing.
+
+1. Fork the repository
+2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix
+3. Make your changes
+4. Test your changes thoroughly
+5. Create a pull request with a clear description, using the provided template, of your changes
+
+## Coding Standards
+
+[Placeholder for coding standards]
+
+Thank you for contributing to Meshtastic!