github-repository · diff
git:20260903.fa1d8bb to git:20260906.ede7325
26 added, 20 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: github-repository
description: Configure a GitHub repository's description, homepage, topics, and solo-developer settings via gh, derived from the codebase. Use when tidying repo settings.
license: MIT
metadata:
author: Médéric HURIER (Fmind)
source: github.com/fmind/dot/tree/main/skills/github-repository
created: "2026-06-23"
- updated: "2026-09-03"
+ updated: "2026-09-06"
---
# GitHub Repository
Derive a repository's description, homepage, and topics from its codebase and apply them with `gh repo edit` together with solo-developer settings: squash-only merges, secure defaults, a decluttered sidebar.
## Workflow
1. **Extract metadata** from the codebase:
- - Manifests: Go `go.mod` (`module` path), Python `pyproject.toml` (`[project]` name, description, urls), TypeScript `package.json` (`name`, `description`, `homepage`).
+ - Project metadata: Python `pyproject.toml` (`[project]` name, description, and URLs).
- `README.md`: the first paragraphs give a one-line description under ~140 characters.
- Homepage: derive from hosting, e.g. `https://<owner>.github.io/<repo>` for GitHub Pages.
- Topics: 3 to 6 lowercase tags for language, frameworks, tools, or domain (`agent`, `python`, `cli`); letters, numbers, and hyphens only, 50 characters max, 20 per repository.
1. **Inspect the current state** so the edit stays idempotent; stop when there is no GitHub remote or `gh` is not authenticated:
```bash
gh auth status
git config --get remote.origin.url
- gh repo view --json description,homepageUrl,repositoryTopics,deleteBranchOnMerge,squashMergeAllowed,mergeCommitAllowed,rebaseMergeAllowed,hasIssuesEnabled,hasProjectsEnabled,hasWikiEnabled,hasDiscussionsEnabled
+ gh repo view --json nameWithOwner,visibility,isInOrganization,description,homepageUrl,repositoryTopics,deleteBranchOnMerge,squashMergeAllowed,mergeCommitAllowed,rebaseMergeAllowed,hasIssuesEnabled,hasProjectsEnabled,hasWikiEnabled,hasDiscussionsEnabled
```
- 1. **Apply one consolidated edit**; append `--enable-issues=false` only when the project tracks issues elsewhere:
+ 1. **Build one consolidated edit**: add the desired topics, remove every current topic not in that desired set, and append `--enable-issues=false` only when the project tracks issues elsewhere. Query the repository REST payload and add the two secret-scanning flags only for a public repository or when `security_and_analysis.secret_scanning` is present; otherwise report that the capability is unavailable and continue with the remaining settings:
```bash
- gh repo edit \
- --description "<description>" \
- --homepage "<homepage-url>" \
- --add-topic "tag1,tag2,tag3" \
- --delete-branch-on-merge \
- --enable-squash-merge \
- --squash-merge-commit-message pr-title-description \
- --enable-merge-commit=false \
- --enable-rebase-merge=false \
- --allow-update-branch \
- --enable-secret-scanning \
- --enable-secret-scanning-push-protection \
- --enable-wiki=false \
- --enable-projects=false \
- --enable-discussions=false
+ repository="$(gh repo view --json nameWithOwner --jq .nameWithOwner)"
+ repository_json="$(gh api "repos/$repository")"
+ desired_topics=(tag1 tag2 tag3)
+ args=(
+ --description "<description>" --homepage "<homepage-url>"
+ --delete-branch-on-merge --enable-squash-merge
+ --squash-merge-commit-message pr-title-description
+ --enable-merge-commit=false --enable-rebase-merge=false --allow-update-branch
+ --enable-wiki=false --enable-projects=false --enable-discussions=false
+ )
+ for topic in "${desired_topics[@]}"; do args+=(--add-topic "$topic"); done
+ while IFS= read -r topic; do
+ [[ " ${desired_topics[*]} " == *" $topic "* ]] || args+=(--remove-topic "$topic")
+ done < <(jq -r '.topics[]' <<<"$repository_json")
+ if [[ "$(jq -r .visibility <<<"$repository_json")" == public ]] ||
+ [[ "$(jq -r '.security_and_analysis.secret_scanning.status? // empty' <<<"$repository_json")" ]]; then
+ args+=(--enable-secret-scanning --enable-secret-scanning-push-protection)
+ else
+ echo "Secret scanning is unavailable for $repository; leaving it unchanged." >&2
+ fi
+ gh repo edit "$repository" "${args[@]}"
```
1. **Verify** with the same `gh repo view --json ...` call and report the fields that changed.
## Gotchas
- **Truncation**: keep the description single-line and under ~140 characters or the GitHub UI truncates it.
- - **Advanced Security**: secret-scanning push protection is free for public and personal private repositories; organization-owned private repositories may need GitHub Advanced Security.
+ - **Secret scanning eligibility**: public repositories are covered; private and internal repositories require an eligible GitHub Secret Protection or Advanced Security entitlement. Capability-detect instead of inferring availability from personal versus organization ownership.
- **Visibility**: never pass `--visibility` or `--accept-visibility-change-consequences` unless the user explicitly asks.
## Documentation
- [gh repo edit manual](https://cli.github.com/manual/gh_repo_edit)
- Companion skills: [github-pull-request](../github-pull-request/SKILL.md) (PR titles feed the squash message), [project-license](../project-license/SKILL.md) (LICENSE), [new-project](../new-project/SKILL.md) (bootstrap).