LP-0005: Open Source

Abstract

This document defines Lux Network's open source strategy, including our approach to strategic forking, upstream contribution policies, and community engagement. Building on the principles established in LP-4, this LP provides the practical framework for open source development.

Motivation

Open source is not merely a licensing choice—it is a commitment to transparency, collaboration, and community empowerment. Lux Network embraces open source as a core value while maintaining the sovereignty necessary for critical infrastructure.

Specification

Strategic Forking

Every critical component of Lux infrastructure exists in the luxfi/ namespace under our direct control:

Upstream	Lux Fork	Purpose
go-ethereum	luxfi/geth	EVM execution
avalanchego	luxfi/node	Consensus engine
Various	luxfi/*	All dependencies

Forking Principles

Fork to extend, not to abandon: We maintain upstream compatibility where beneficial
Security-first: Immediate patching without waiting for upstream
Performance-tailored: Optimizations specific to our use cases
Simplicity: Remove code paths we don't need

Contribution Guidelines

All code contributions must follow the Contributor License Agreement
External contributions are reviewed for security and alignment
Upstream improvements are contributed back when beneficial to both communities

Namespace Policy

All Lux packages use the luxfi/ or @luxfi/ namespace:

Go: github.com/luxfi/*
NPM: @luxfi/*
No direct dependencies on upstream packages in production code

Rationale

Maintaining forks requires engineering resources but provides:

Complete control over release timing
Ability to diverge when upstream decisions conflict with our needs
Security patches without disclosure delays
Performance optimizations for our specific workloads

Backwards Compatibility

This LP establishes policy and does not affect existing implementations.

Security Considerations

Open source transparency must be balanced with responsible disclosure. Security vulnerabilities are handled through:

Private disclosure channels
Coordinated fix development
Public disclosure after patches are deployed

Open Source