FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What open-source license is Canvas released under?

We have released Canvas under the AGPLv3.

Can I contribute back?

Sure! However, you will need to sign a Contributor License Agreement before we will pull your code into Canvas. You'll be prompted to do this when you submit a pull request.

Does Canvas support any extensions?

Yes! In fact, there are a number of proprietary extensions already developed for Canvas by Instructure. You are more than welcome to write your own plugins in the same vein.

If you are interested in finding out more about plugins for Canvas by Instructure, please contact us.

Are there any code differences between the open source and hosted offerings?

Yes, there are some. Canvas runs on the exact same code as we release to github, and as of this writing the code that we deploy to our production environment is pushed the same day to github. However, there are a few plugins and extensions that we provide for customers that we don't open source right now. These include:

• Quizzes.next
• Mastery Paths
• Proprietary SIS integrations
• Migration tools for commercial LMSs
• Other minor customizations that only apply to our hosted environment
• Chat tool
• SCORM import tool
• Catalog
• Canvas DocViewer (edited)
• Gauge
• Canvas Data

How do I get support?

https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms/wiki#getting-help

I'd like to contribute to Canvas.

Great! Please fork the Canvas project on Github, create your changes against our master branch, and then send a pull request.

Before we accept your pull request, we will need to have a signed contributor agreement on file for you.

What? A contributor agreement? Why?

Canvas, unlike many projects hosted by GitHub, is commercially dual-licensed. We license Canvas via the AGPLv3 to the open source community, but we also offer Canvas via a subscription to many of our clients. For this to work, Instructure needs to retain copyright over the Canvas project. The contributor agreement is the legal step we must go through so we are able to continue to dual-license and serve our clients without fracturing the codebase.

If you want to contribute, as soon as we have a copy of contributor agreement on file for you, we will be happy to accept your pull requests.

Where do I send the contributor agreement to?

After submitting a pull request, clahub will show up as a status check. Follow the directions to digitally sign the contributor agreement.

I have some other question.

Please read our Getting Help section, and if all else fails, please ask your question on our user mailing list.