Imported from gap-system/PackageDistro (AGENTS.md). Install upstream with npx skills add gap-system/PackageDistro. Copyright stays with the author.

AGENTS.md

This repository contains the package distribution for the GAP computer algebra system.

AI disclosure

Any use of AI tools for preparing code, documentation, tests, commit messages, pull requests, issue comments, or reviews for this repository must be disclosed. Include a brief note saying which AI tool was used and what kind of assistance it provided. Add the AI tool as a Git co-author on all commits created by that tool (e.g. via an Co-authored-by: line).

Repository layout

• README.md: top-level package overview.
• packages contains one subdirectory per GAP package, each with a meta.json file describing the package version, URLs, checksums, test configuration, and related metadata used by the distribution workflows
• tools contains the Python and GAP helper scripts that download archives, validate package metadata, assemble release artifacts, generate reports, and support the Python test suite in tools/tests
• .github contains the GitHub Actions workflows that validate package metadata, run package tests, assemble release artifacts, and check the Python tooling in tools/

Additionally, several directories are not in the repository but are used by some of the tools for various purposes:

• _archives is used to store copies of all package archives
• _pkginfos stores copies of the PackageInfo.g files
• _releases stores generated release artifacts such as packages.tar.gz, packages-required.tar.gz, package-infos.json.gz, checksums, and package lists created by tools/assemble_distro.py

Python tooling

The Python scripts in tools/ are formatted with black. Keep Python code formatted with python -m black tools.

The CI workflow in .github/workflows/tools-tests.yml currently runs these checks for Python changes:

• python -m black --check --diff tools
• python -m isort --check --profile black tools
• python -m mypy --disallow-untyped-calls --disallow-untyped-defs tools/*.py
• python -m pytest tools/tests/test*.py -vv

Before finishing changes to Python code in tools/, run the relevant subset of those commands locally. If you touch multiple scripts or shared helpers, run all of them.

Commit messages and pull requests

When writing commit messages, use the title format component: Brief summary The title line should not exceed 60 characters.

In the body, give a brief prose summary of the purpose of the change. Do not specifically call out added tests, comments, documentation, and similar supporting edits unless that is the main purpose of the change. Do not include the test plan unless it differs from the instructions in this file. If the change fixes one or more issues, add Fixes #... at the end of the commit message body, not in the title.

Don't write lines into the commit message that are wider than 70 characters.

Pull requests should follow the same style: a short summary up top, concise prose describing the change, issue references when applicable, and an explicit AI-disclosure note if AI tools were used.