Lumen Docs

Contributing

How to build Lumen from source and where to send your changes.

Lumen is AGPL-3.0 and the project lives at github.com/Lux-Softworks/Lumen. Open an issue before investing time on a large change so we can align on direction. Smaller fixes and improvements can go straight to a pull request.

Build from source

You need a Mac with Xcode 26.2 or newer, an Apple Developer account for signing, and an iOS 18 target device or simulator.

git clone https://github.com/Lux-Softworks/Lumen.git
cd Lumen
open Lumen.xcworkspace

# In Xcode:
#  - Select the Lumen scheme
#  - Pick your signing team
#  - Cmd-R to run on device or simulator

The first build pulls MLX Swift through Swift Package Manager and runs longer than subsequent builds. Budget about five minutes on a first clone.

What we welcome

  • Bug fixes with a reproducer.
  • Accessibility improvements.
  • New readers, site-specific extractors, or parser enhancements.
  • Privacy hardening that does not add complexity.
  • Docs edits — every page on this site is a markdown file you can edit.

What we are careful about

  • Features that would require a backend. We do not run one.
  • Third-party SDKs, analytics, or telemetry. None allowed.
  • Design changes that break the calm. Lumen is deliberately quiet.

License reminder

AGPL-3.0 means if you distribute a modified version, you must share your changes under the same license. That rule is a feature, not a friction: it keeps the project honest about staying open as it grows.

On this page

Build from sourceWhat we welcomeWhat we are careful aboutLicense reminder