> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bosonnetwork.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bosonnetwork.io/contribute/contribute.md).

# Overview

Boson's **core library and client SDKs are open source** and welcome community contributions. The layer-2 services, the Director super-node supervisor, and the distribution packaging are currently provided as **prebuilt binaries** and are not yet open source — they will be open-sourced later. This section covers how to contribute to the open-source modules.

{% hint style="info" %}
The open-source SDKs together with the binary service distribution support **all four layer-2 services and full application development** — you do not need the service source to build apps. See [Build Applications](/build-applications/build-apps.md).
{% endhint %}

## Open-source modules (contributions welcome)

These have public repositories and accept issues and pull requests. Each is a standalone Maven project — clone it and build with `./mvnw clean verify`; the parent POM and dependency BOM resolve automatically from the Maven repository.

| Module              | Repository                                                                           | Role                                                                                                                                                              |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Core                | [Boson.Core](https://github.com/bosonnetwork/Boson.Core)                             | `api` (shared interfaces, crypto, W3C DID layer), `dht` (the Kademlia KadNode), and `shell` (interactive DHT REPL). The foundation every other module depends on. |
| WebGateway client   | [Boson.WebGateway.Client](https://github.com/bosonnetwork/Boson.WebGateway.Client)   | Java client library — the `HiggsNode` light node — for the WebGateway HTTP API.                                                                                   |
| Active Proxy client | [Boson.ActiveProxy.Client](https://github.com/bosonnetwork/Boson.ActiveProxy.Client) | Java client library for the Active Proxy service.                                                                                                                 |
| Messaging client    | [Boson.Messaging.Client](https://github.com/bosonnetwork/Boson.Messaging.Client)     | Java client library for the Messaging service.                                                                                                                    |
| Ion Store client    | [Boson.IonStore.Client](https://github.com/bosonnetwork/Boson.IonStore.Client)       | Java client library for the Ion Store service.                                                                                                                    |

## Binary-only modules (not yet open source)

The following are distributed as prebuilt binaries in the [official distribution](/getting-started/install.md) and will be open-sourced later. Their source is not currently public, so they cannot be built or forked yet:

* **Layer-2 services** — WebGateway, Active Proxy, Messaging, and Ion Store (the server implementations)
* **Director** — the super-node supervisor, plus the `boson-director-cli` and `boson-cli` tools
* **Distribution** — the packaging that assembles the ZIP/DEB artifacts with a bundled JRE
* **Boson.Java** — the Maven aggregator that builds the complete platform

{% hint style="info" %}
You can run all of these from the [binary distribution](/getting-started/install.md) and integrate with them using the open-source [client SDKs](/build-applications/build-apps.md) or the [HTTP / REST API](/build-applications/http-rest.md) — no service source required.
{% endhint %}

## Section index

| Page                                                    | What it covers                                         |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| [Dev environment](/contribute/dev-environment.md)       | Prerequisites, cloning an open-source module, IDE tips |
| [Building](/contribute/building.md)                     | Building an open-source module from source             |
| [Coding standards](/contribute/coding-standards.md)     | Conventions for new code                               |
| [Testing](/contribute/testing.md)                       | Running the test suite                                 |
| [Submitting changes](/contribute/submitting-changes.md) | Fork, branch, pull request                             |
| [Code of Conduct](/contribute/code-of-conduct.md)       | Community expectations                                 |


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