Repolinter

0.12.0 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

Repolinter is a linter for open source repositories, checking for common issues like missing license, README, contributing guide, code of conduct, and changelog files. Version 0.12.0 is the latest stable release (May 2025) with TypeScript type definitions. It supports local and remote repository linting, customizable rulesets (JSON/YAML), and multiple output formats (default, JSON, Markdown). Compared to alternatives like `licensee` or `repo-scope`, Repolinter offers broader checks and integration with git repositories. Release cadence is irregular; last major change was v0.11.0 adding ruleset inheritance.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'repolinter' ↓

cause Package not installed globally or locally.

fix

Run 'npm install -g repolinter' or add to devDependencies.

error SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'export' ↓

cause Using ESM import in a CommonJS environment.

fix

Use function require('repolinter') or set 'type': 'module' in package.json.

error Error: ruleset must have a version field of type number ↓

cause Ruleset file missing or invalid 'version' field.

fix

Add '"version": 2' to your repolinter.json.

Warnings

deprecated The '--git' flag is deprecated in favor of '--remote' in v0.11.0. ↓

fix Use '--remote' instead of '--git'.

breaking Version 0.9.0 introduced breaking changes in ruleset schema (version 2) and removed legacy configuration support. ↓

fix Update ruleset files to version 2 format (refer to schema).

gotcha When using --format markdown, the output includes a full report with table, not just summary. ↓

fix Parse the markdown output accordingly; use --format json for structured data.

Install

npm install repolinter

yarn add repolinter

pnpm add repolinter

Imports

repolinter
wrong
```
const repolinter = require('repolinter')
```
correct
```
import { repolinter } from 'repolinter'
```
Repolinter ships TypeScript types and can be used via ESM or CJS, but recommended import is ESM for bundlers.
runLint
```
import { runLint } from 'repolinter'
```
The default export is a function that lints a given directory; use named import if using the programmatic API.
Repolinter
wrong
```
import Repolinter from 'repolinter'
```
correct
```
import { Repolinter } from 'repolinter'
```
Repolinter class is a named export, not default. Common mistake is to try default import.

Quickstart

Demonstrates programmatic usage of runLint to lint a local repo and output JSON.

import { runLint } from 'repolinter';
import { resolve } from 'path';

async function main() {
  const targetDir = resolve('./my-repo');
  const result = await runLint({
    targetDir,
    rulesetFile: undefined, // will look for local config or default
    dryRun: false,
    format: 'json'
  });
  console.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
}
main().catch(console.error);