| name | oss-launch |
| description | Use when taking a repo open source, or hardening one that already is. Run /oss-launch and it scans the repo (stack, existing files, git remote, secrets), asks only what it cannot infer, then generates a tailored OSS file collection (README, LICENSE, CONTRIBUTING, CODE_OF_CONDUCT, SECURITY, CHANGELOG, .gitignore, .github/ issue + PR templates, CI/CD). Also covers launch (GitHub metadata, badges, Show HN, Reddit, YouTube), release cadence (SemVer + CHANGELOG), and demo-GIF generation. Triggers on "open source this", "OSS checklist", "prep for launch", "make this repo public", "add a license / contributing / security policy", "Show HN", "release workflow", "star growth", "get contributors". |
oss-launch
Turn a repo into a credible open-source project: scan what exists, fill the gaps with
adapted (not boilerplate) files, then optionally launch it.
templates/ holds the payload this skill writes into a USER's repo. The root files
(README, LICENSE, etc.) describe oss-launch itself. Never confuse the two.
Run (when invoked)
Work top to bottom. Do not dump all files blindly; scan first, then fill only real gaps.
0. Scan the repo (details: references/scan.md)
- Stack:
package.json / pyproject.toml / Cargo.toml / go.mod / composer.json /
*.csproj -> language, package manager, test/build/lint commands.
- Existing OSS files present vs missing: README, LICENSE, CONTRIBUTING, CODE_OF_CONDUCT,
SECURITY, CHANGELOG,
.gitignore, .github/ templates, CI workflows.
- Git:
git remote -v -> {{OWNER}}/{{REPO}} + default branch. gh repo view -> public?
- Declared license (
package.json "license" field / existing LICENSE).
- Demo asset present? (screenshot / gif in README or
docs/).
- Secret + brand-leak scan (do this every time, even private->public):
.env, API keys, tokens, hardcoded absolute/personal paths, internal-only references.
If anything leaks, STOP and surface it before generating or publishing anything.
1. Report the findings and a gap table. Run the audit for the checklist:
bash scripts/audit.sh .
2. Ask only what cannot be inferred (batch into one question round):
license (if undeclared), author / copyright holder + year, security contact,
project type (library / app / CLI / skill / service), are outside contributions wanted,
distribution target (npm / pypi / none), one-line tagline. Skip any the scan answered.
3. Generate the file collection from templates/, adapted (details: references/generate.md):
- Fill placeholders:
{{OWNER}} {{REPO}} {{AUTHOR}} {{YEAR}} {{LICENSE}}
{{SECURITY_EMAIL}} {{CONTACT_EMAIL}} {{TAGLINE}} {{STACK}} (full map: references/generate.md).
- Pick the stack-appropriate
.gitignore (templates/gitignore/) and CI workflow
(templates/.github/workflows/).
- LICENSE:
templates/LICENSE-apache.txt (default) or LICENSE-mit.txt.
- Never overwrite an existing non-trivial file without showing a diff and confirming.
Prefer to augment (e.g. add missing README sections) over clobbering.
4. Re-audit and report: what was created, what was updated, what is still manual
(demo GIF, real security email, topics). Aim for a clean scripts/audit.sh . pass.
5. Offer launch modules on demand (do not auto-run any of these):
| Module | Reference | Tool |
|---|
| README anatomy (50-star vs 1000-star) | references/readme-anatomy.md | - |
| GitHub metadata: topics, description, badges, star-ask | references/github-metadata.md | gh repo edit |
| CI/CD baseline + when to add each workflow | references/ci-cd.md | templates/.github/workflows/ |
| Release: SemVer + CHANGELOG + tag + GH release + npm/pypi | references/release.md | scripts/release.sh |
| Standard GitHub labels | - | scripts/setup-labels.sh <owner/repo> |
| Demo GIF / screenshot generation | references/media.md, setup/MEDIA_SETUP.md | scripts/generate-media.sh, scripts/update-readme-with-gif.sh |
| Launch playbook: Show HN, Reddit, YouTube, star growth | references/launch-playbook.md | launch/* |
Rules
- Scan before you write. A gap table beats a wall of generated files.
- Adapt, do not paste. Every emitted file gets the repo's real name, owner, stack, license.
- Leaked secret or personal path => stop and report; never bake it into a public file.
- Public push is irreversible and outward-facing: show the
gh repo create / push command
and the leak-scan result, and get explicit confirmation first.
- Apache-2.0 is the default license here; offer MIT when the user prefers minimal ceremony.
Scripts
| Script | Purpose | Args |
|---|
audit.sh | Gap checklist with relative fix hints | [REPO_PATH] (default .) |
apply.sh | Headless scaffold: no agent loop, config file instead of Q&A | <target-dir> [--config <file>] |
build-agent-dirs.sh | Emit ready-to-copy skill dirs per harness (Claude, Codex, Cursor, Gemini) | [output-dir] (default dist/) |
release.sh | SemVer bump + CHANGELOG + tag + GH release | patch|minor|major|x.y.z |
setup-labels.sh | Create standard OSS labels via gh | [owner/repo] |
generate-media.sh | Playwright screenshots + ffmpeg GIF | --storyboard YAML or --url URL |
update-readme-with-gif.sh | Insert GIF into README above Quick Start | --readme, --gif |
All scripts resolve their own root path, so they run from a clone or from the installed
skill location without edits.
