OSS Ready

Transform a project into a professional open-source repository with standard community files and GitHub templates.

Two terms are used throughout:

• Additive edit: on a file that already exists, add only missing sections or lines. Never replace, reword, translate or delete the user's content.
• Placeholder: a match of PH='\[(YEAR|COPYRIGHT HOLDER|INSERT [A-Z ]+)\]|TODO|TBD|FIXME' in a created file, or in a line the run added to an existing file.

Repo Sync Before Edits (mandatory)

Prerequisites: a git repository on a named branch with an origin remote. Run the block in references/repo-sync.md once, before Step 0. It stops at the first failure:

1. Stop when git rev-parse --git-dir fails (not a git repository).
2. Stop when git symbolic-ref --quiet --short HEAD fails (detached HEAD), before any stash or sync.
3. Stop and ask the user when git remote get-url origin fails.
4. If git status --porcelain prints a line, stash with git stash push -u.
5. Run git fetch origin && git pull --rebase origin "$branch".
6. Restore the stash with git stash pop --index.

On a non-zero exit, print the final report with BLOCKED and the recovery commands the block printed. Never discard changes. If the only failure is the missing origin and the user approves continuing, go to Step 0 and list Repo Sync skipped (no origin) under Uncertainty:.

Workflow

Before Step 0, check references/edge-cases.md. If a case matches the repo, handle it as written there first.

Step 0: Create Feature Branch

1. Read the current branch: git branch --show-current.
2. Read the default branch: git symbolic-ref --short refs/remotes/origin/HEAD, without the origin/ prefix. If that fails, use main, or master when only master exists.
3. If the current branch is not the default branch and its name contains oss, stay on it and go to Step 1.
4. Choose the prefix feature/ when git branch -a --format='%(refname:short)' lists more feature/ than feat/ branches; otherwise feat/.
5. If <prefix>oss-ready exists, ask the user to reuse it or to give another name. Never reset an existing branch.
6. Run git switch -c <prefix>oss-ready, or git switch <name> to reuse. If it fails, stop with BLOCKED.

Step 1: Analyze Project

Record the stack, purpose, existing files, license, repo URL, README language, visibility and fill values, as references/file-specs.md → Analysis values describes. Ask for the security and conduct contacts in one question. If no stack is detectable, ask which stack to assume.

Step 2: Create/Update Core Files

Write README.md and CONTRIBUTING.md from the Step 1 values. Copy LICENSE from assets/LICENSE-MIT unless one exists or the user names another license. Copy CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md (Contributor Covenant 2.0) and SECURITY.md from assets/. Replace each placeholder with its Step 1 value. Section lists and per-file rules: references/file-specs.md.

Take every usage example from the repo's code, scripts or --help output. Never invent a command or contact. A section with no source in the code is left out and listed under Manual review.

Step 3: Create GitHub Templates

Copy each missing file from assets/.github/: ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md, ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.md, PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md. Keep every existing file and workflow under .github/ unchanged.

Step 4: Create Documentation Structure

Create each missing file. Skip rules and contents: references/file-specs.md → docs/.

docs/
├── ARCHITECTURE.md    # System design, components
├── DEVELOPMENT.md     # Dev setup, debugging
├── DEPLOYMENT.md      # Production deployment
└── CHANGELOG.md       # Version history (skip when a root CHANGELOG.md exists)

Step 5: Update Project Metadata

Add each missing license, description and repository field to the root manifest. Never overwrite a field that has a value. Parse the file after the edit. Per-stack fields and parse commands: references/file-specs.md → Project metadata.

Step 6: Ensure .gitignore

Append each missing pattern for the stack from references/file-specs.md → .gitignore. Check one pattern with grep -qxF '<pattern>' .gitignore. Never remove a line.

Step 7: Verify and Report

1. Run every Acceptance Criteria check. Record pass, fail or not applicable with its reason.
2. Set PH as defined in Placeholder above. Run the placeholder grep on each created file: grep -nE "$PH" <file>.
3. Run it on the lines added to each updated file: git diff -U0 -- <file> | grep -E '^\+' | grep -E "$PH".
4. Run git status --porcelain. Confirm that no line starts with D or D .
5. Print the final report.

Do not commit or push. The user reviews and commits the branch.

Step Completion Reports

After each of Steps 1-7, print a report in this format (example: references/final-report.md):

◆ [Step Name] ([step N of 7] — [context])
··································································
  [Check 1]:          √ pass
  [Check 2]:          × fail — [reason]
  [Criteria]:         √ N/M met
  ____________________________
  Result:             PASS | FAIL | PARTIAL

Name each check after what the step validates. Step 0 gets no report. If Step 0 or 1 fails, stop with BLOCKED. If one of Steps 2-6 reports FAIL or PARTIAL, continue; the run ends PARTIAL. Step 7 runs whenever Step 2 started.

Final Report

Print one final report in the chat after the last step report; write a file only on request. Four parts, in order:

1. Result: the status word, the repo and branch, and the reason for PARTIAL or BLOCKED.
2. Evidence: files created and updated, and the result of each Step 7 check that ran.
3. Uncertainty: placeholders left, checks not run and why, and untested behavior.
4. Decision: the approval needed, or No approval needed., then each remaining user action.

Apply the first status rule that matches:

1. BLOCKED: the run stopped before Step 7 and no file in the target repo was created or changed.
2. PARTIAL: an applicable check failed or did not run, a placeholder remains, a step reported FAIL or PARTIAL, or the run stopped before Step 7 finished.
3. COMPLETE: every applicable check passed, the placeholder grep found no match, and Steps 1-7 each reported PASS.

not applicable is allowed only for a reason listed in references/final-report.md, with the outcome table, examples and reader checks. Any other skipped check counts as not run.

Acceptance Criteria

Step 7 runs each check with test -f, grep, git or a visual check.

• LICENSE exists. A new MIT file passes grep -c "MIT License" LICENSE (or the named license's title). An existing one is unchanged: git diff --quiet -- LICENSE.
• README.md is at least 40 lines with Installation, Usage, and License sections. In English, grep -ciE "^#+ .*(install|usage|license)" README.md returns >= 3; in another language, check the headings visually.
• CONTRIBUTING.md references the issue tracker plus a branching/PR workflow: grep -iE "issue|pull request|branch" CONTRIBUTING.md.
• CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md mentions the Contributor Covenant: grep -i "contributor covenant" CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md.
• SECURITY.md lists a vulnerability-reporting contact: grep -E "@|https?://" SECURITY.md.
• .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md and feature_request.md exist with YAML frontmatter (name:, about:).
• .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md contains a checklist (- [ ]).
• Each docs/ file the run created starts with a # heading: head -1 <file>.
• .gitignore contains each Step 6 pattern for the stack.
• The manifest (package.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml) declares license, description, and repository, and still parses.
• The placeholder grep finds no match.
• No previously committed file was deleted (Step 7 item 4).
• The final report starts with Result: and a status word, has the other three parts, and passes the reader checks in references/final-report.md.

Expected Output

A complete run on a TypeScript CLI with a partial README.md ends like this:

Result: COMPLETE — acme/tsgrep on feat/oss-ready
Evidence:
  Created: LICENSE (MIT, 2026 Jane Doe), CONTRIBUTING.md,
           CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md (conduct@acme.dev), SECURITY.md (security@acme.dev),
           .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md, feature_request.md,
           .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md, docs/ (4 files)
  Updated: README.md (+ Quick Start, Usage, License badge),
           package.json (+ license, repository), .gitignore (+ dist/, .env)
  Acceptance criteria: 13/13 pass. Placeholder grep: no matches. No deleted files.
Uncertainty: README commands copied from package.json scripts, not executed.
Decision: No approval needed.
  Remaining action: confirm both contact addresses are monitored.
  Remaining action: review and commit feat/oss-ready.

Before printing, confirm each listed file exists (test -f).

Edge Cases

Full table with detection and status effects: references/edge-cases.md. In short:

• Never overwrite an existing non-MIT LICENSE, .github/ file, or user content in CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md or SECURITY.md.
• Ask first when the repo is private or internal, has no origin, or has no detectable stack.
• Update only the root manifest in a monorepo, unless the user names a sub-package.
• Stop on a detached HEAD, outside a git repository, or when a stash, sync or restore fails. Never discard changes.
• Keep the README's language and a root CHANGELOG.md.

Assets and References

• assets/: LICENSE-MIT, CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md (Contributor Covenant 2.0), SECURITY.md, and .github/ issue and PR templates
• references/repo-sync.md: the Repo Sync block
• references/file-specs.md: analysis values, per-file content, fill values, metadata, .gitignore
• references/final-report.md: status rules, outcome table, examples, reader checks
• references/edge-cases.md: detection, handling and status per edge case