OSS Readiness Checker

A small command-line tool that checks whether a project has the basic files people expect from an open-source repository.

It is designed for developers who are publishing an open-source project for the first time and want a simple checklist.

日本語で試す

OSS として公開したいフォルダに、基本的なファイルがそろっているかを 100 点満点で確認するツールです。インストールせずに試せます。

Windows の PowerShell:

npx.cmd oss-readiness-checker check .

macOS または Linux:

npx oss-readiness-checker check .

Node.js 20 以上が必要です。詳しい説明は、このあとの英語版をご覧ください。

Demo

What it checks

The first version checks for:

• README
• LICENSE
• CONTRIBUTING
• SECURITY
• A common project manifest such as package.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, or go.mod

Each item is worth 20 points.

The checker also suggests adding a Usage, Getting Started, or Quick Start section when a README does not explain how to begin. Suggestions do not affect the score or exit code.

Requirements

• Node.js 20 or later

Usage

Run the checker against the current folder without installing it:

npx oss-readiness-checker check .

Check another project:

npx oss-readiness-checker check ../my-project

Output machine-readable JSON for CI:

npx oss-readiness-checker check . --json

Example:

OSS Readiness Checker
Project: /path/to/my-project

[PASS] README: Project documentation found.
[PASS] LICENSE: License file found.
[MISS] CONTRIBUTING: Add CONTRIBUTING.md to explain how people can help.
       Learn more: https://docs.github.com/communities/setting-up-your-project-for-healthy-contributions/setting-guidelines-for-repository-contributors
[MISS] SECURITY: Add SECURITY.md to explain how to report vulnerabilities.
       Learn more: https://docs.github.com/code-security/getting-started/adding-a-security-policy-to-your-repository
[PASS] PROJECT MANIFEST: Project manifest found.

Suggestions:
[WARN] README USAGE: Add a Usage, Getting Started, or Quick Start section so people know how to begin.
       Learn more: https://docs.github.com/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/customizing-your-repository/about-readmes

Score: 60 / 100

The command exits with status code 0 when all checks pass and 1 when something is missing. This makes it useful in automated workflows.

When a missing file has a relevant guide, the checker also prints a Learn more link with practical next steps.

GitHub Action

Run the checker automatically after each push and pull request by adding .github/workflows/oss-readiness.yml to your repository:

View the action on GitHub Marketplace.

name: OSS Readiness

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - main

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  check:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
      - uses: plainloop-jp/oss-readiness-checker-action@v0.3.1

By default, the action checks the repository root. Use the optional path input when the project is inside a subdirectory.

This repository also uses the Marketplace action in its own CI. See the workflow file and workflow runs.

Development

Run the local source code:

node ./src/cli.js check .

Run the tests:

npm test

Run the checker against this repository:

npm run check

Roadmap

• Add more checks for README content quality
• Suggest fixes for missing files
• Add configurable rules

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

Security

For security reports, see SECURITY.md.

License

MIT