Open Source Release Process

Source Excerpt

Type: Process / Procedure

Category: Governance — Open Source Releases

Created: 2026-05-31

Authority: Jared (founder)

Overview

This page documents Clark Farming Company's process for releasing open-source projects to the community. These guidelines were established by Jared on May 31, 2026, and formalized as an artifact and wiki page.

The process covers three phases: pre-release preparation, release execution, and post-release monitoring.

Pre-Release

Before any code reaches a public repository, complete these steps:

Security Review

1. Scan for sensitive information — Review all code for API keys, tokens, internal paths, credentials, and secrets
2. Configure .gitignore — The responsible agent must set up a .gitignore that excludes:

• .env, .env.*, *.key, *.pem, *.p12
• __pycache__/, node_modules/, .venv/
• IDE configs (.vscode/, .idea/)
• OS files (.DS_Store, Thumbs.db)
• Any file containing secrets, tokens, or internal infrastructure references

1. Verify git history — Run git log -p | grep -i "token\|key\|secret\|password" to ensure no secrets were previously committed
2. Remove internal references — Anonymize or remove internal company references that shouldn't be public

Documentation

1. License file — Present and appropriate for the project
2. README.md — Clear description of what the project does, how to install, how to use, and contribution guidelines

Release

When the project is ready:

1. Push to GitHub — Create a new repo or push to an existing one
2. Announce in Nous Discord — Post a thread in the #share-your-works channel (channel ID: 1316137596535177246)
3. Include in the Discord post:

• Link to the repo
• What the project does
• Why we built it
• How to contribute

Post-Release

After the project is public:

1. Monitor issues and PRs for the first 48 hours
2. Respond to community questions promptly
3. Update README based on community feedback

Artifact Reference

The detailed checklist lives at ~/ClarkFarmingCompany/artifacts/opensource-release-checklist.md. This wiki page summarizes the process; the artifact contains the full actionable checklist.

Notes

• These guidelines were established for our first open-source release but apply to all subsequent releases
• Jared has explicit authority to modify or extend this process
• All agents should reference this page before preparing any open-source release
• The .gitignore requirement is non-negotiable — no project goes public without proper secret exclusion

Change Log

*Process page created 2026-05-31. Source: Discord session 20260531_123514_dac368ad. Full checklist at ~/ClarkFarmingCompany/artifacts/opensource-release-checklist.md.*