2. Where to Get Help

If you are working on Python it is very possible you will come across an issue where you need some assistance to solve it (this happens to core developers all the time).

Should you require help, there are a variety of options available to seek assistance. If the question involves process or tool usage then please check the rest of this guide first as it should answer your question.

2.1. Discourse

Python has a hosted Discourse instance. Be sure to visit the related Core categories, such as Core Development and Core Workflow.

2.2. Mailing Lists

Further options for seeking assistance include the python-ideas and python-dev mailing lists. Python-ideas contains discussion of speculative Python language ideas for possible inclusion into the language. If an idea gains traction it can then be discussed and honed to the point of becoming a solid proposal and presented on python-dev. Python-dev contains discussion of current Python design issues, release mechanics, and maintenance of existing releases. These mailing lists are for questions involving the development of Python, not for development with Python.

2.3. Ask #python-dev

If you are comfortable with IRC you can try asking on #python-dev (on the freenode network). Typically there are a number of experienced developers, ranging from triagers to core developers, who can answer questions about developing for Python. As with the mailing lists, #python-dev is for questions involving the development of Python whereas #python is for questions concerning development with Python.

Note

You may not be able to access the history of this channel, so it cannot be used as a “knowledge base” of sorts.

2.4. Zulip

An alternative to IRC is our own Zulip instance. There are different streams for asking help with core development, as well as core developers’ office hour stream. It is preferred that you ask questions here first or schedule an office hour, before posting to python-dev mailing list or filing bugs.

Warning

This is no longer actively monitored by core devs. Consider asking your questions on Discourse or on the python-dev mailing list.

2.5. Core Mentorship

If you are interested in improving Python and contributing to its development, but don’t yet feel entirely comfortable with the public channels mentioned above, Python Mentors are here to help you. Python is fortunate to have a community of volunteer core developers willing to mentor anyone wishing to contribute code, work on bug fixes or improve documentation. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to contribute.

2.6. Core Developers Office Hours

Several core developers have set aside time to host mentorship office hours. During the office hour, core developers are available to help contributors with our process, answer questions, and help lower the barrier of contributing and becoming Python core developers.

The PSF’s code of conduct applies for interactions with core developers during office hours.

2.7. File a Bug

If you strongly suspect you have stumbled on a bug (be it in the build process, in the test suite, or in other areas), then open an issue on the issue tracker. As with every bug report it is strongly advised that you detail which conditions triggered it (including the OS name and version, and what you were trying to do), as well as the exact error message you encountered.