oss-docs

SKILL.md

OSS Documentation Skill

Scaffold and audit documentation for open source projects.

Overview

This skill helps prepare repositories for open source release by:

Auditing existing documentation completeness

Scaffolding missing standard files

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:

Run quality gates - Tests, linters, builds

Commit changes - Meaningful commit message

PUSH TO REMOTE - This is MANDATORY

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)