Open Source Readiness - Core Knowledge

Deep Knowledge: Use mcp__documentation__fetch_docs with technology: git-workflow for Git-specific documentation.

When NOT to Use This Skill

This skill focuses on open source project setup and compliance. Do NOT use for:

• Git commands and branching - Use git-workflow skill
• Code quality and static analysis - Use qa-expert agent
• CI/CD pipeline architecture - Use devops-expert agent
• Package development (library code) - Use language-specific skills

Essential Files Checklist

File	Purpose	Priority
LICENSE	Legal terms for use and distribution	Required
README.md	Project overview, install, usage, badges	Required
CONTRIBUTING.md	How to contribute (setup, PR process, style)	Required
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md	Community behavior expectations	Required
SECURITY.md	Responsible disclosure process	Required
CHANGELOG.md	Version history (Keep a Changelog)	Recommended
GOVERNANCE.md	Decision-making process	Recommended
.github/CODEOWNERS	Auto-assign reviewers by path	Recommended
.github/FUNDING.yml	Sponsorship links	Optional
CITATION.cff	Academic citation metadata	Optional
NOTICE	Third-party attributions (Apache 2.0)	Conditional

Quick Reference Guides

Topic	Guide	Covers
Licensing	licensing.md	License selection, SPDX, CLA/DCO, compatibility
Documentation	documentation.md	README, CONTRIBUTING, CHANGELOG, ADR templates
Community and Governance	community-governance.md	Governance models, maintainer path, communication
Repository Setup	repository-setup.md	.github/, templates, CODEOWNERS, branch rules
CI/CD and Automation	ci-cd-automation.md	GitHub Actions, releases, dependency updates
Compliance	security-compliance.md	OpenSSF Scorecard, SBOM, supply chain
Legal and Packaging	legal-packaging.md	License headers, NOTICE, publishing, signing
Metrics and Inclusivity	metrics-inclusivity.md	CHAOSS metrics, inclusive language, badges

Decision Flowchart

Project needs open source setup?
 - Just starting? -> Run full Tier 1 setup
     - Choose license -> licensing.md
     - Create docs -> documentation.md
     - Setup repo -> repository-setup.md
     - Add CI -> ci-cd-automation.md
 - Already has basics? -> Run audit, fill gaps
     - Missing compliance files? -> security-compliance.md
     - No community docs? -> community-governance.md
     - No release process? -> ci-cd-automation.md
 - Publishing a package? -> legal-packaging.md
 - Growing community? -> community-governance.md + metrics-inclusivity.md
 - Compliance audit? -> security-compliance.md + legal-packaging.md

License Quick Decision

If you want...	Choose
Maximum freedom, simple	MIT
Patent protection included	Apache 2.0
Copyleft (derivatives must be open)	GPL v3
Copyleft for libraries only	LGPL v3
File-level copyleft (compromise)	MPL 2.0
Network copyleft (SaaS must share)	AGPL v3
Public domain equivalent	Unlicense or 0BSD

Common Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Why It Is Bad	Best Practice
No LICENSE file	Code is NOT open source without one	Always include LICENSE
LICENSE in README only	Not legally clear	Separate LICENSE file
No CONTRIBUTING.md	Contributors do not know how to help	Clear contribution guide
No CODE_OF_CONDUCT	Unwelcoming community signal	Adopt Contributor Covenant
Hardcoded secrets	Credential exposure risk	Use environment variables
No .gitignore	Accidental binary commits	Comprehensive .gitignore
No CI pipeline	Untested contributions	GitHub Actions CI
No issue templates	Low-quality bug reports	Structured YAML templates
Manual releases	Error-prone, inconsistent	Automated release pipeline
No SECURITY.md	Issues reported publicly	Private disclosure process