I was trying to get a unrelated typescript project running, when I hit an issue with one of its dependencies... license-checker. No big deal, I thought. I'll just check if there's a more recent version to fix the bug.
Last commit: January 2019.
Weekly downloads: 760,000+.
Open issues: 96.
Maintainer activity: crickets
WTF. C'mon.
This package is used by Puppeteer. Playwright. Cypress. Angular CLI.
And nobody's home.
"I'll just fork it and fix the bug," I said... like an i d i o t who thinks time is an infinite resource.
Three hours later, I was knee-deep in a CommonJS codebase with no tests, questioning my life choices.
That's when I decided to bring some backup: Claude Code.
The coding Savant (who occasionally bullshits you)
Working with CC on a codebase migration is... an experience.
Hour 1: Claude analyzes the codebase. Creates a sensible migration plan.
Hour 3: We've converted half the files to TypeScript. Claude is methodical. Professional. Sometimes lies, like "all tests are passing" - Really I say, check again with a retort "you absolutely right".
Hour 6: Claude has created a todo list with 47 items. I did not ask for this.
Hour 12: Claude has started writing marketing copy for the project. It has opinions about our "market positioning."
Hour 18: We have a fully working TypeScript codebase with tests. Claude suggests we "track competitor packages."
The Bigger Question
This experience made me realize something: there's a LOT of critical infrastructure running on abandonware.
What if "AI + motivated human" could be a model for OSS sustainability?
The AI handles:
Tedious migrations
Boilerplate code
Documentation generation
Test scaffolding
Performance profiling (yes, Claude got really into benchmarking)
The human handles:
Judgment calls
Architecture decisions
Community interaction
Deciding when the AI is being too enthusiastic
So my fellow coders, the crusade begins
I'm calling this the OSS Crusade: one dev and one AI, rescuing abandoned packages from the npm graveyard.
cebert•1mo ago
Do you use Claude to create HN comments too?
greenstevester•1mo ago
You are absolutely right!
greenstevester•1mo ago
Actually I wrote the first and last part and it filled in the middle.
zaphirplane•1mo ago
How much did it cost in $, how many LOC was the original
jaggs•1mo ago
Amazing idea. I did something vaguely similar (as in not at all), when I rescued an abandonware WordPress theme on my blog and brought it back to life to work with the latest PHP. It's very satisfying work. :)
greenstevester•1mo ago
I was trying to get a unrelated typescript project running, when I hit an issue with one of its dependencies... license-checker. No big deal, I thought. I'll just check if there's a more recent version to fix the bug.
Last commit: January 2019. Weekly downloads: 760,000+. Open issues: 96. Maintainer activity: crickets
WTF. C'mon.
This package is used by Puppeteer. Playwright. Cypress. Angular CLI.
And nobody's home.
"I'll just fork it and fix the bug," I said... like an i d i o t who thinks time is an infinite resource.
Three hours later, I was knee-deep in a CommonJS codebase with no tests, questioning my life choices.
That's when I decided to bring some backup: Claude Code.
The coding Savant (who occasionally bullshits you) Working with CC on a codebase migration is... an experience.
Hour 1: Claude analyzes the codebase. Creates a sensible migration plan.
Hour 3: We've converted half the files to TypeScript. Claude is methodical. Professional. Sometimes lies, like "all tests are passing" - Really I say, check again with a retort "you absolutely right".
Hour 6: Claude has created a todo list with 47 items. I did not ask for this.
Hour 12: Claude has started writing marketing copy for the project. It has opinions about our "market positioning."
Hour 18: We have a fully working TypeScript codebase with tests. Claude suggests we "track competitor packages."
The Bigger Question This experience made me realize something: there's a LOT of critical infrastructure running on abandonware.
What if "AI + motivated human" could be a model for OSS sustainability?
The AI handles:
Tedious migrations Boilerplate code Documentation generation Test scaffolding Performance profiling (yes, Claude got really into benchmarking) The human handles:
Judgment calls Architecture decisions Community interaction Deciding when the AI is being too enthusiastic So my fellow coders, the crusade begins
I'm calling this the OSS Crusade: one dev and one AI, rescuing abandoned packages from the npm graveyard.
cebert•1mo ago
greenstevester•1mo ago
greenstevester•1mo ago
zaphirplane•1mo ago