How to Vet an Old GitHub Repo Before Acquisition: Security & License ChecklistnnBefore acquiring any legacy repository, perform rigorous vetting. This guide provides a security and license checklist: static analysis, dependency vulnerability scans, secret detection, provenance tracking, and license compatibility checks. Learn how to audit commit authorship, review CI history, and examine past issues and pull requests to assess maintenance risk. For commercial use, the article covers IP due diligence—confirming contributor license agreements (CLAs), ownership claims, and patent risk. It also recommends staging environments, code freeze policies, and phased rollouts post-transfer. Proper vetting protects your organization from technical debt and legal exposure while enabling confident, compliant acquisition of meaningful open-source assets. - Download as a PDF or view online for free