docs(contributing): add and tailor contributing workflow for zenOS

[k-dot-greyz]

Summary

• Adds baseline CONTRIBUTING.md with fork-and-PR workflow, GlitchWorks Agnostic Architecture Protocol, and pre-commit audit checklist.
• Tailors the guide to zenOS as the standalone core platform repo (not only a submodule lens): repository layout table, public docs/ vs dev-master-only guides, CI-aligned quality gates, and submodule checkout notes for monorepo contributors.

Test plan

• Verified CONTRIBUTING.md links resolve to existing paths (docs/AI_INSTRUCTIONS.md, .github/workflows/zenos-ci.yml, PR template, commit checklist).
• Confirmed branch builds on top of upstream main with the committed contributing baseline at 531615b.
• Reviewer confirms wording matches zenOS maintainer expectations for boundary rules and CI commands.

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Note

Low Risk
Documentation-only change with no runtime, auth, or data-handling impact.

Overview
Introduces a new root CONTRIBUTING.md that defines how to contribute to zenOS as a standalone product repo (with optional dev-master submodule context).

The guide adds a zenOS vs dev-master boundary (platform code and public docs here; internal monorepo guides in the superproject), a repository layout table, a fork-and-PR workflow (remotes, branches, gh pr create), CI-aligned local checks (black, isort, pytest, optional ruff/mypy), the GlitchWorks Agnostic Architecture Protocol (seven engineering rules), submodule contributor notes, a pre-commit audit checklist, and Conventional Commits examples.

^{Reviewed by Cursor Bugbot for commit 15c6686. Configure here.}

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Documentation
  • Added comprehensive contribution guidelines covering repository workflow, engineering standards and best practices, development checklist, and commit message conventions.

[coderabbitai]

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

Added CONTRIBUTING.md establishing zenOS contribution guidelines, including repository boundary policies separating platform code from internal monorepo documentation, fork-and-PR workflow instructions, repository layout expectations, engineering standards (GlitchWorks Agnostic Architecture Protocol), pre-commit quality checklist, and Conventional Commits format requirements.

Changes

Contribution Guidelines and Standards

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Contribution Boundaries and Repository Structure CONTRIBUTING.md	Document introduces zenOS as the core platform linked to dev-master as a submodule. "Prime Directive" policy prohibits internal monorepo docs and fork-specific guidance from being committed here. Repository layout defines where packages, public docs, catalogs, examples, scripts, workflows, and staging belong.
Contribution Workflow CONTRIBUTING.md	Fork-and-PR workflow covers remote configuration, feature branch creation, scoped changes, local quality gates, and PR submission. Submodule-specific guidance ensures zenOS-only changes stay in the submodule checkout and internal notes are moved elsewhere.
Engineering Standards and Quality Gates CONTRIBUTING.md	GlitchWorks Agnostic Architecture Protocol defines engineering practices (configuration, interface-driven contracts, typed IPC, boundary validation, snapshot state management, failure handling, and observability). Pre-commit audit checklist verifies boundary hygiene, diff scope, noise reduction, and secret exclusion. Conventional Commits format and commit type examples complete the guidelines.

Estimated Code Review Effort

🎯 1 (Trivial) | ⏱️ ~3 minutes

Poem

A humble guide hops into view,
With boundaries clear and standards true.
Folk and PR, the rabbit's way,
To keep the platform bright and gay! 🐰✨

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5

✅ Passed checks (5 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title accurately summarizes the main change: adding and tailoring a contributing workflow document (CONTRIBUTING.md) for the zenOS repository.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.

_{✏️ Tip: You can configure your own custom pre-merge checks in the settings.}

✨ Finishing Touches

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Commit unit tests in branch docs/add-contributing-workflow

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[coderabbitai]

🧹 Nitpick comments (1)

CONTRIBUTING.md (1)

214-216: 💤 Low value

Add language specifier to code block for better rendering.

The commit message format code block should specify a language identifier (e.g., text or plaintext) for improved syntax highlighting and rendering across different Markdown viewers.

📝 Proposed fix

-```
+```text
 <type>(<scope>): <short summary>

</details>

<details>
<summary>🤖 Prompt for AI Agents</summary>

Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In @CONTRIBUTING.md around lines 214 - 216, Update the Markdown code fence that
shows the commit message format so it includes a language specifier;
specifically change the opening fence for the block containing "():
" to include a language like "text" (e.g., use ```text) so the
code block renders with proper highlighting across Markdown viewers.

</details>

</blockquote></details>

</blockquote></details>

<details>
<summary>🤖 Prompt for all review comments with AI agents</summary>

Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

Nitpick comments:
In @CONTRIBUTING.md:

• Around line 214-216: Update the Markdown code fence that shows the commit
  message format so it includes a language specifier; specifically change the
  opening fence for the block containing "(): " to
  include a language like "text" (e.g., use ```text) so the code block renders
  with proper highlighting across Markdown viewers.

</details>

---

<details>
<summary>ℹ️ Review info</summary>

<details>
<summary>⚙️ Run configuration</summary>

**Configuration used**: defaults

**Review profile**: CHILL

**Plan**: Pro

**Run ID**: `12b4e515-be69-41e4-bd02-c4d19891ce9d`

</details>

<details>
<summary>📥 Commits</summary>

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between c86daf585b6907118d03c82f4f17b903cab22be2 and 15c6686f125ce0d4dd6965d69613b033d3efea61.

</details>

<details>
<summary>📒 Files selected for processing (1)</summary>

* `CONTRIBUTING.md`

</details>

</details>

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