This lesson will cover the files needed for an open source project to be live to the public!

Open Source Repository Docs

Open source developers have standardized a naming convention on files in repositories that store important information, such as project documentation or licensing requirements.

The most important file for many repositories its **README**, or "read me" file. It's the standard file for basic repository documentation. Developers know to read it to learn how to use or contribute to the project.

Developers often put the project's name in the first line of the README, followed by a blank line, then the project's description.

GitHub will show the contents of a repository's README file on the repository's homepage. If it's a README.md file, it will be rendered as Markdown.

Let's have you create your own README.md file for your repository.

Create new file form. Name: README.md; contents: a Markdown heading with the repo name followed by a happy description with an emoji.

README.mds

Repository homepage with filled out info for https://github.com/JoshuaKGoldberg/codecademy-open-source.

Congratulations, you now know how to add the following files to your code repository to adhere to the conventional structure of an open source project.

* Github About: filling out and reading the metadata for a repository
* **README.md**: with a title, summary, and example code snippet
* **LICENSE.md**: copying from a choosealicense.com license of the learner's choice
* **CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md**: copying the contents of the [Contributor Covenant](https://www.contributor-covenant.org)

Review

Git repositories, or code bases, are often hosted online using services such as GitHub. They allow repository owners to configure which groups of people may view or make changes to the body of code. Most repositories on GitHub are **open source**: they may be viewed by anybody. 

In addition to Git history like code changes in the form of commits, repositories can specify additional "About" metadata such as a description and public URL. About metadata is shown on the repository's page on GitHub.

In this lesson, you'll be observing the steps of working on your own repository. You can follow along and go through the same steps again in your own browser by creating a new repository on GitHub! Make sure you already have a GitHub account ready.

Create a new repository page on GitHub. Has information from the narrative filled out for Owner, Name, Description, and privacy. 

GitHub Repositories

Any project on the internet open to the public, open source repository or otherwise, needs a code of conduct, or policy around what is or isn't acceptable behavior. Open source projects can involve many people who might not have the same understanding of what constitutes acceptable conduct on the internet. A code of conduct formalizes and helps explain the project's policies.

Open source projects typically place their code of conduct in a "CODE_OF_CONDUCT" file in their repository.

A great number of standard code of conduct policies exist. Many open source projects, including several run by Codecademy, use a standard one named the ["Contributor Covenant"](https://contributor-covenant.org).

Let's add that file to your repository!


Create new file form filled out. Name: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md. Contents: the Contributor Code of Conduct.


CODE_OF_CONDUCT Files

Create new file form filled out. Name: LICENSE.md. Contents: the MIT license.

Although open source software can be freely viewed by anybody, using it -particularly as a part of proprietary software- can be a sensitive subject. Many open source developers prefer their projects only be used with appropriate author attribution and/or only by other open source software.

The "LICENSE" file in a repository is typically used to describe the licensing terms for the repository: restrictions for what circumstances it is allowed to be used.

Most developers choose to use industry standard licenses used by many other open source projects. [ChooseALicense.com](https://choosealicense.com) is a great resource that helps you compare licenses that have been read over and vetted by law. One commonly used license is the MIT license!