diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 690f65391bc5d4a32389a274ff99245be0715350..2fe59b2002a71125fd9172e68378df9c63642b2c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-cda4d52 (HEAD -> master, tag: 1.9.3, origin/master, origin/HEAD) added code coverage configuration file
-a2fa2be (tag: 1.9.2) simplified CI for the backend
-34029c7 (tag: 1.9.1) added missing dependencies (coverage & psycopg2)
-e6c8016 (tag: 1.9.0) added missing dependency (gunicorn)
-72aa622 (tag: 1.8.9) removed port forwarding for the database (docker) container
-143e218 (tag: 1.8.8) combined CI for backend and frontend
-d7f3841 (tag: 1.8.7) simplified frontend CI
-4d2247e (tag: 1.8.6) enable CI for frontend
-150d280 (tag: 1.8.5) merge source code for frontend and backend
-5f8b59f (tag: 1.8.4) Initial commit
+dceec53 (HEAD -> master, tag: 1.9.4, origin/master, origin/HEAD) updated README
+cda4d52 (tag: 1.9.3) added code coverage configuration file
+a2fa2be (tag: 1.9.2) simplified CI for the backend
+34029c7 (tag: 1.9.1) added missing dependencies (coverage & psycopg2)
+e6c8016 (tag: 1.9.0) added missing dependency (gunicorn)
+72aa622 (tag: 1.8.9) removed port forwarding for the database (docker) container
+143e218 (tag: 1.8.8) combined CI for backend and frontend
+d7f3841 (tag: 1.8.7) simplified frontend CI
+4d2247e (tag: 1.8.6) enable CI for frontend
+150d280 (tag: 1.8.5) merge source code for frontend and backend
+5f8b59f (tag: 1.8.4) Initial commit
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b9dd7898a6a5d4087c81057b3ef179dbb608fb72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# Contributing to Machina Callida
+
+We welcome contributions from the community, and want to make contributing to this project as easy and transparent as possible, whether you contribute by
+
+- reporting a bug,
+- submitting code,
+- proposing a new feature, or
+- put yourself forward to become the maintainer,
+- ...
+
+Please read these guidelines before contributing.
+If you have questions about them or want to suggest improvements, please [open a new issue](https://scm.cms.hu-berlin.de/callidus/machina-callida/-/issues/new).
+
+## Development on GitLab
+
+We use GitLab to host source code and documentation, to track issues such as bug reports and feature requests, and to provide Machina Callida downloads to users.
+
+## Report a bug or other issues
+
+We track bugs in and issues with Machina Callida, and record proposals of new features, in GitLab issues.
+You can report a bug, request a feature, or simply ask a question, by [opening a new issue](https://scm.cms.hu-berlin.de/callidus/machina-callida/-/issues/new).
+It's easy.
+
+## Contribute code or documentation through merge requests
+
+[Merge requests](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/merge_requests/getting_started.html) are the best way to propose changes to the codebase or the documentation sources. We actively welcome your merge requests:
+
+1. Fork this repository.
+2. Open a new issue describing what you are planning to do. The maintainer will decide and communicate whether your change is a *hotfix* or a *feature*.
+3. Create a `feature` branch (for new functionality) with `git checkout -b "feature/YOUR_BRANCH_NAME_HERE"`,  
+or a `hotfix` branch (for bug fixes) with `git checkout -b "hotfix/YOUR_BRANCH_NAME_HERE"`.
+4. Do your work in this branch.
+    - If you add code, add tests!
+    - Update the relevant documentation!
+    - Test your changes locally!
+5. Push your branch and create a merge request.  
+    - If your contribution is new functionality, create it against `machina-callida:develop`.
+    - If your contribution is a bug fix, create it against `machina-callida:master`.
+
+### Code review schedules
+
+We perform reviews of all changes to Machina Callida, be they in code, documentation, configuration, etc. 
+Note that we may sometimes not be able to perform reviews right away due to illness, holidays, etc.
+
+## License
+
+By contributing code to Machina Callida, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under its [Apache License, Version 2.0](LICENSE).  
+By contributing documentation to Machina Callida, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under its [CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode) license.
+
+## Governance
+
+This section describes the decision-making processes for the Machina Callida project, and the roles involved in them.
+
+### Roles
+
+In the Machina Callida project, the following roles are defined.
+
+- **Core contributors:** Active contributors to the Machina Callida software. The development of Machina Callida is either part of the job description of core contributors, or they are actively making substantial contributions to the project.
+
+- **Maintainer:** Machina Callida has a single maintainer. This person is responsible for the development and release workflow of Machina Callida, including project and software documentation and facilitating maintenance transfers, as well as nominating core contributors.
+
+- **Principal investigators:** As Machina Callida is research software, the principal investigators are responsible for strategic development of the project.
+
+### Decision making
+
+Decisions are usually made by the maintainer, with potential recourse to the core contributors, the principal investigators, or both.
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
index 335ea9d070ad1c319906aeff798584ded23c7387..261eeb9e9f8b2b4b0d119366dda99c6fd7d35c64 100644
--- a/LICENSE
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -1,19 +1,201 @@
-Copyright (c) 2018 The Python Packaging Authority
-
-Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
-of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
-in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
-to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
-copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
-furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
-
-The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
-copies or substantial portions of the Software.
-
-THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
-IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
-FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
-AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
-LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
-OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
-SOFTWARE.
\ No newline at end of file
+                                 Apache License
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diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5201b7d6ef56c56903de3c73b0190dee2140b9c6..1177a08d7574aa670c884cf5242b0c7bb34e22cd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,4 +31,4 @@ To snapshot a running container, use `docker commit CONTAINER_ID`. It returns a
 
 ## Documentation
 ### Changelog
-To update the changelog, use: `git log --oneline --decorate --color > CHANGELOG`
+To update the changelog, use: `git log --oneline --decorate > CHANGELOG`
diff --git a/mc_backend/Dockerfile b/mc_backend/Dockerfile
index 546172d2f48ccd70b61f0663c5b19372c8e82ab8..cf2c1df013fdbf010cbbcaaad0a86888cfe37b1f 100644
--- a/mc_backend/Dockerfile
+++ b/mc_backend/Dockerfile
@@ -3,27 +3,9 @@
 FROM python:3.8
 
 RUN useradd -ms /bin/bash mc
-
 WORKDIR /home/mc
-
 RUN python -m venv venv
-
-RUN apt-get update
-RUN apt-get install -y openssh-server nano
-
 COPY requirements.txt requirements.txt
 RUN venv/bin/pip install --no-cache-dir --default-timeout=120 -r requirements.txt
-
-#prepare ssh
-RUN mkdir /var/run/sshd
-RUN echo 'root:root' | chpasswd
-RUN sed -i 's/#PermitRootLogin prohibit-password/PermitRootLogin yes/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
-RUN sed 's@session\s*required\s*pam_loginuid.so@session optional pam_loginuid.so@g' -i /etc/pam.d/sshd
-ENV NOTVISIBLE "in users profile"
-RUN echo "export VISIBLE=now" >> /etc/profile
-RUN /usr/bin/ssh-keygen -A
-CMD ["/usr/sbin/sshd", "-D"]
-
 COPY . mc_backend
-
 WORKDIR /home/mc/mc_backend
diff --git a/mc_backend/run_csm.py b/mc_backend/run_csm.py
index 7268fce977dd32d9c3385594d1453ad38ff02837..b923a0ee71a4e0cfbedd4be3cf85449bf92c1338 100644
--- a/mc_backend/run_csm.py
+++ b/mc_backend/run_csm.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 from flask import Flask
-
 from csm import get_app, get_cfg
 
 app: Flask = get_app()
diff --git a/mc_frontend/Dockerfile b/mc_frontend/Dockerfile
index b901ddc1727daf0a4fa75f3650b8d1ad089c0059..a51c21cbc13111cef861cae4f9d8ff3a37719450 100644
--- a/mc_frontend/Dockerfile
+++ b/mc_frontend/Dockerfile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ RUN useradd -ms /bin/bash mc
 
 WORKDIR /home/mc
 RUN apt update
-# for testing
+# for testing with headless chrome browser
 RUN wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
 RUN apt install -y ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb