The criteria used to determine if an individual is eligible for Ubuntu membership is not expressly rigid as contributions to Ubuntu and the community can take on a variety of forms. However, those seeking membership should be aware of some of the broad requirements the membership board has set.
Length of Time
There is no precise length of contribution time required for membership, however we recommend individuals applying for membership have at least 6 months of sustained Ubuntu related contributions along with supporting testimonials from other contributors in the community.
Contribution Types
Membership is not limited to technical contributors. All contributions are valued and recognized whether you contribute to artwork, documentation, providing support on the forums, the answers tracker, IRC support, bug triage, translation, development and packaging, marketing and advocacy, or anything that helps support Ubuntu or the Ubuntu Community.
Upstream Contributions
Ubuntu benefits from contributions to upstream projects and Debian specifically. However, while contributions to those projects are appreciated and worth being recognized, involvement in downstream Ubuntu is required for membership. After all, it’s all about Ubuntu membership.
Testimonials
It is important that members demonstrate the ability to interact with others, so detailed endorsements from others are important criteria that are evaluated during the application process, because they give better insight into specific parts of the community. Testimonials from members of various parts of the community are appreciated, even if they’re not Ubuntu members themselves. We encourage prospective members to reach out to fellow contributors and Official Members to see if their contributions meet the standard and to ask for their endorsement.
Ready to apply?
If you believe you meet the outlined requirements, please see the Membership Application Process to learn how to prepare and submit an application