Add "Getting started" instructions.

* README.rst: Add "Getting started" instructions.

1 files changed, 36 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 7f3579c..b407b83 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ Submissions of unfinished packaging attempts are welcome as well, as there is
 a good chance that others can help finish the work. Please prefix pull requests
 for unfinished contributions with WIP.
 
+When submitting a new package or a modification to a package, make sure to run:
+
+.. code:: console
+          guix lint -L /path/to/your/guix/science/checkout <package-name>
+
 When obtaining a fresh checkout of this repository, run the following
 command:
 
@@ -77,3 +82,34 @@ command:
 The command authenticates your checkout and installs Git hooks such that
 ``git pull`` and ``git push`` automatically authenticate it from there
 on.
+
+Hacking this repository
+---------------------------------------
+
+Package definitions are stored in ``guix-science/packages/*.scm``,
+each ``.scm`` file being a `Guile module`_ containing several package
+definitions.
+
+.. _Guile module: https://guix.gnu.org/manual/devel/en/html_node/Package-Modules.html
+
+A new package definition can be added in the relevant module.
+
+For example, after adding a package definition such as:
+
+.. code:: scheme
+          (define-public my-package-variable
+            (package
+              (name "my-package-name")
+              ... ))
+
+can be built using the following command:
+
+.. code:: console
+          guix build -L /path/to/guix/science/checkout my-package-name
+
+Note that generally the same string is used for the package name and
+the Guile variable that points to the package object.
+
+You can learn more about working with a channel in the `Guix manual`_.
+
+.. _Guix manual: https://guix.gnu.org/manual/devel/en/html_node/Creating-a-Channel.html