Getting started, from scratch:

1. Install some dependencies.

   sudo apt-get install build-essential bison mongodb
   sudo apt-get install git bzr
   
   Ensure you have mongodb 2.x or higher
   mongod --version
   db version v2.2.1, pdfile version 4.5

   If not the following page may help https://docs.mongodb.org/manual/administration/install-on-linux/

2. Install Go.

   Install go https://golang.org/doc/install

   # consider putting these in ~/.bashrc too...
   export GOROOT="$HOME/go"
   export GOPATH="$HOME/gocode"
   export PATH="$PATH:$GOROOT/bin:$GOPATH/bin"
   
   # ... and creating the GOPATH directory structure.
   # (read `go help gopath` for details of this)
   mkdir -p $GOPATH/{src,pkg,bin}

3. Use the go tool to get dependencies. Getting BoltDB deliberately uses ... so that the bolt command-line tool is installed as well.

   go get github.com/boltdb/bolt/...
   go get github.com/fluffle/goirc/client
   go get github.com/fluffle/golog/logging
   go get github.com/google/go-github/github
   go get golang.org/x/oauth2
   go get gopkg.in/mgo.v2

4. Clone sp0rkle's code from github.

   cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/fluffle
   
   # Note: in order to submit patches more easily, you might want to get a github
   # account, fork the bot, and clone from your own writeable version.
   
   # If you do that, clone with:
   git clone git@github.com:<username>/sp0rkle.git
   # and then add my repository as an alternative remote to pull from:
   cd sp0rkle
   git remote add -f -m master fluffle http://github.com/fluffle/sp0rkle.git
   
   # Otherwise, just clone from my repository:
   git clone http://github.com/fluffle/sp0rkle.git

5. Import a recent database backup into MongoDB.

   TMP=$(mktemp -d)
   tar -C $TMP --force-local -jxvf sp0rkle.YYYY-MM-DD.HH:MM.tar.bz2
   mongorestore -d sp0rkle $TMP/sp0rkle
   rm -r $TMP

   If you don't know where to get a DB backup from, you possibly shouldn't be submitting patches :-)

6. Code, build, commit, push :)

   git checkout -b myfeature
   while coding in $GOPATH/src/github.com/fluffle/sp0rkle/sp0rkle:
     vim <stuff>:wq
     go build
     # Run local build for testing ...
     ./sp0rkle --servers irc.pl0rt.org[:port]  [--nick=mybot] [--channels='#test']
     ^C
   
   git add <stuff>
   git commit -m "Some useful message about the edit to <stuff>."
   
   # If you cloned from your own repo, push the new branch with:
   git push origin myfeature
   # ... then send me a pull request on github :-)

   Here's a more in depth description of a good workflow to use with github: https://gist.github.com/Chaser324/ce0505fbed06b947d962