Open Source Best Practices
This skill guides you through preparing your GitHub project for sustainable open source release.
How to Use This Skill
- See the full workflow in AGENTS.md - the complete phases and checklist
- Reference detailed guides in references/ folder:
- File requirements and structure
- License selection decision tree
- Security scanning and git history cleaning
- Governance framework
- Maintainer expectations
- GitHub Sponsors setup
- Template examples
Quick Overview
The workflow has 8 phases (do them in order; Phase 1 isn't optional):
- Security First - Clean your git history using Git History Cleaner
- Legal & Ownership - Choose license, verify ownership, clarify admin rights
- Community Foundations - Add Code of Conduct, governance, decision-making
- Documentation & Onboarding - README, CONTRIBUTING, issue/PR templates
- Setup Files & Infrastructure - .gitignore, CI/CD, protected branches
- Maintainer Expectations - Define roles, SLAs, communication
- Security & Vulnerability Reporting - SECURITY.md, vulnerability process
- Funding & Sustainability - GitHub Sponsors (optional but recommended)
Get Started
When a user asks about open sourcing their project, begin by asking:
- "What does your project do?" - Understand scope
- "Who's the audience?" - Know your users
- "Is your git history clean?" - Check for secrets first
Then guide them through the phases using the full AGENTS.md workflow.
Key Resources
