# jacobdeichert/mask

🎭 A CLI task runner defined by a simple markdown file

Repository: https://github.com/jacobdeichert/mask
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/mask
Language: Rust
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: task-runner
Last push: 2026-01-10T22:37:49+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 70/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 61, release rhythm 65, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2615, "days_push": 235, "days_rel": 235, "gap_med": 0, "n_releases_24m": 4}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1611, forks 60 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:11.024128+00:00)

## What it is
Mask is a CLI task runner written in Rust where tasks are defined in a markdown file (maskfile.md). Headings define commands, blockquotes define descriptions, and code blocks define the scripts to run, making the task file both documentation and executable command definitions.

## Use cases
- run project build and test commands from a markdown file
- replace make with a simpler documentation-first task runner
- define dev setup scripts that double as documentation
- run tasks with different scripting runtimes like node, python, ruby, or php
- define CLI commands with positional args, flags, and subcommands

## When to choose
- you want a task runner where the config file is human-readable documentation
- you prefer markdown over Makefile syntax
- you need multi-language script blocks in one task file
- you want your project's commands documented on GitHub automatically

## When to avoid
- you need Make's incremental build and dependency tracking
- you need complex shell logic or parallel task execution
- your team already standardizes on make, just, or npm scripts

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: cli, developer-tools, workflow-automation, build-tool
- domain: developer-tools, documentation
- platform: windows, cli, rust
- tags: task-runner, markdown, makefile-alternative, rust, command-line, automation, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- jacobdeichert/mask (main) score 70

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:11.024128+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T03:51:12.011248+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/jacobdeichert/mask (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:11.024128+00:00, sha 4573e95be9cb)
  - registry_crates: https://crates.io/api/v1/crates/mask (fetched 2026-08-29T11:23:07.210517+00:00, sha 535495882de6)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.