OSS Documentation Skill

Scaffold and audit documentation for open source projects.

Overview

This skill helps prepare repositories for open source release by:

1. Auditing existing documentation completeness
2. Scaffolding missing standard files
3. Generating content tailored to project type

Commands

Command	Action
audit	Check which OSS docs exist/missing
scaffold	Create all missing standard files
scaffold [file]	Create specific file
update	Refresh existing docs with latest patterns
validate	Check docs follow best practices

---

Phase 0: Project Detection

# Determine project type and language
PROJECT_NAME=$(basename $(pwd))
LANGUAGES=()

[[ -f go.mod ]] && LANGUAGES+=("go")
[[ -f pyproject.toml ]] || [[ -f setup.py ]] && LANGUAGES+=("python")
[[ -f package.json ]] && LANGUAGES+=("javascript")
[[ -f Cargo.toml ]] && LANGUAGES+=("rust")

# Detect project category
if [[ -f Dockerfile ]] && [[ -d cmd ]]; then
    PROJECT_TYPE="cli"
elif [[ -d config/crd ]]; then
    PROJECT_TYPE="operator"
elif [[ -f Chart.yaml ]]; then
    PROJECT_TYPE="helm"
else
    PROJECT_TYPE="library"
fi

---

Subcommand: audit

Required Files (Tier 1 - Core)

File	Purpose
LICENSE	Legal terms
README.md	Project overview
CONTRIBUTING.md	How to contribute
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md	Community standards

Recommended Files (Tier 2 - Standard)

File	Purpose
SECURITY.md	Vulnerability reporting
CHANGELOG.md	Version history
AGENTS.md	AI assistant context
.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/	Issue templates
.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md	PR template

Optional Files (Tier 3 - Enhanced)

File	When Needed
docs/QUICKSTART.md	Complex setup
docs/ARCHITECTURE.md	Non-trivial codebase
docs/CLI_REFERENCE.md	CLI tools
docs/CONFIG.md	Configurable software
examples/	Complex workflows

---

Subcommand: scaffold

Template Selection

Project Type	Focus
cli	Installation, commands, examples
operator	K8s CRDs, RBAC, deployment
service	API, configuration, deployment
library	API reference, examples
helm	Values, dependencies, upgrading

---

Documentation Organization

project/
├── README.md              # Overview + quick start
├── AGENTS.md              # AI assistant context
├── CONTRIBUTING.md        # Contributor guide
├── CHANGELOG.md           # Keep a Changelog format
├── docs/
│   ├── QUICKSTART.md      # Detailed getting started
│   ├── CLI_REFERENCE.md   # Complete command reference
│   ├── ARCHITECTURE.md    # System design
│   └── CONFIG.md          # Configuration options
└── examples/
    └── README.md          # Examples index

---

AGENTS.md Pattern

# Agent Instructions

This project uses **<tool>** for <purpose>. Run `<onboard-cmd>` to get started.

## Quick Reference

```bash
<cmd1>              # Do thing 1
<cmd2>              # Do thing 2

Landing the Plane (Session Completion)

MANDATORY WORKFLOW:

1. Run quality gates - Tests, linters, builds
2. Commit changes - Meaningful commit message
3. PUSH TO REMOTE - This is MANDATORY
4. Verify - All changes committed AND pushed

---

## Style Guidelines

1. **Be direct** - Get to the point quickly
2. **Be friendly** - Welcome contributions
3. **Be concise** - Avoid boilerplate
4. **Use tables** - For commands, options, features
5. **Show examples** - Code blocks over prose
6. **Link liberally** - Cross-reference related docs

---

## Skill Boundaries

**DO:**
- Audit existing documentation
- Generate standard OSS files
- Validate documentation quality

**DON'T:**
- Overwrite existing content without confirmation
- Generate code documentation (use `$doc`)
- Create CI/CD files (out of scope — configure CI/CD separately)

## Examples

### OSS Readiness Audit

**User says:** "Audit this repo for open-source documentation readiness."

**What happens:**
1. Evaluate presence/quality of core OSS docs.
2. Identify missing or weak sections.
3. Output prioritized documentation actions.

### Scaffold Missing Docs

**User says:** "Generate missing OSS docs for this project."

**What happens:**
1. Detect project type and documentation gaps.
2. Scaffold standard files with project-aware content.
3. Produce a checklist for final review and landing.

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---------|-------|----------|
| Generated docs feel generic | Project signals too sparse | Add concrete repo context (commands, architecture, workflows) |
| Existing docs conflict | Legacy text diverges from current behavior | Reconcile with current code/process and mark obsolete sections |
| Contributor path unclear | Missing setup/testing guidance | Add explicit quickstart and validation commands |
| Open-source handoff incomplete | Session-end workflow not reflected | Add landing-the-plane and release hygiene steps |

## Reference Documents

- [references/beads-patterns.md](references/beads-patterns.md)
- [references/documentation-tiers.md](references/documentation-tiers.md)
- [references/project-types.md](references/project-types.md)