The Yocto Project itself uses a hierarchical structure and a
pull model.
Scripts exist to create and send pull requests
(i.e. create-pull-request
and
send-pull-request
).
This model is in line with other open source projects where
maintainers are responsible for specific areas of the project
and a single maintainer handles the final "top-of-tree" merges.
gitolite
software supports both the
push and pull models quite easily.
As with any development environment, it is important to document the policy used as well as any main project guidelines so they are understood by everyone. It is also a good idea to have well structured commit messages, which are usually a part of a project's guidelines. Good commit messages are essential when looking back in time and trying to understand why changes were made.
If you discover that changes are needed to the core layer of the project, it is worth sharing those with the community as soon as possible. Chances are if you have discovered the need for changes, someone else in the community needs them also.