github-alive — A living contribution graph

Your GitHub contribution graph becomes a self-evolving abstract pattern. Real commits blend seamlessly into the design — a sprint of 50 commits looks like a natural peak, not a disruption.

Jan ─────────────────────── Jun ──────────────────────── Dec
Sun  ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒
Mon  ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒
Tue  ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒
Wed  ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒
Thu  ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒
Fri  ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒
Sat  ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒

Legend:  · 1–5   ░ 6–15   ▒ 16–25   ▓ 26–35   █ 36–40  commits/day

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How it works

github-alive runs daily (via GitHub Actions) and computes how many commits your contribution graph should show for today using a deterministic mathematical function. It then counts your real commits for today and fills the gap if needed.

Real activity blends in naturally — most of the time. If a sprint lands on a peak zone, it reinforces the wave. If it lands on a valley, it creates a visible spike above the pattern. Either way, alive.py never adds synthetic commits on top of real ones — it only fills the gap up to the target.

target  = base_commits(today)   # from the wave function
real    = count_real_commits()  # ALL your GitHub activity, including alive repo
delta   = max(0, target - real) # only fill the gap; 0 if already at/above target

Note: real counts commits across all your repos, including alive. This makes every run idempotent — if the first run already hit the target, subsequent runs (10:00, 18:00 UTC) see delta=0 and do nothing.

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Features

• Deterministic — same date always produces the same pattern. No state files, no database.
• Self-healing — real commits count toward the target. Work more, fill less.
• Minimal setup — two secrets in GitHub Actions (ALIVE_TOKEN + GH_USER) and it runs forever.
• Organic — overlapping sine waves at different frequencies create texture that looks hand-drawn.
• Flexible — runs daily via GitHub Actions; includes backfill tools for historical gaps.

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Installation

1. Create the alive repo on GitHub

Create a public (or private) repository named alive in your GitHub account. It just needs to exist — github-alive will commit to it.

2. Clone this repo and install dependencies

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/github-alive
cd github-alive
pip install requests

3. Configure credentials

Copy the example config and fill in your details:

cp config.example.json config.json

{
  "github_token": "ghp_...",
  "github_user": "your-username",
  "alive_repo": "alive"
}

config.json is in .gitignore — it will never be committed.

Alternatively, use environment variables:

export ALIVE_GH_TOKEN=ghp_...   # preferred (avoids GitHub Actions built-in token clash)
export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_...     # also works as fallback for local use
export GITHUB_USER=your-username

4. Run manually

python3 alive.py

5. Set up GitHub Actions (automated daily run)

The included workflow runs three times a day at 02:00, 10:00, and 18:00 UTC.

Add these secrets to your repository (Settings → Secrets → Actions):

Secret	Value
ALIVE_TOKEN	Personal access token with repo + user scope
GH_USER	Your GitHub username

The workflow file is already at .github/workflows/alive.yml.

---

Visualizing the pattern

Preview the next 52 weeks in your terminal:

python3 designer.py

  github-alive — pattern preview (next 52 weeks)
  Anchor: 2012-09-09  |  Today: 2026-03-05

  Legend:  · 1–5   ░ 6–15   ▒ 16–25   ▓ 26–35   █ 36–40  commits

  ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Sun  ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ...
  Mon  ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ █ █ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ...
  Tue  ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ █ █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ...
  Wed  ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ █ █ █ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ...
  Thu  ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ █ █ █ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ...
  Fri  ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ █ █ █ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ...
  Sat  ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ...
  ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
        ↑ today (Mon Jun 10)

---

How the pattern is generated

The pattern is produced by five overlapping sine waves, each operating at a different timescale:

Wave	Period	Role
w1	26 weeks	Primary rhythm — broad rise and fall
w2	13 weeks	Harmonic — mid-scale structure
w3	52 weeks	Yearly drift — slow background mood
w4	7 days + slow phase drift	Day-of-week texture
w5	diagonal	Cross-grid ripple

They combine with weighted mixing:

combined = w1*0.35 + w2*0.25 + w3*0.15 + w4*0.15 + w5*0.10
commits  = round(3 + (combined + 1) * 18.5)   # maps [-1,1] → [3, 40]

The result is a pattern where no two weeks are identical, yet the whole graph flows with visual coherence — peaks cluster, valleys breathe, and diagonal streaks emerge from the interference of the waves.

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Files

File	Purpose
alive.py	Daily runner — computes target, counts real commits, fills gap
designer.py	Terminal visualizer — preview the next 52 weeks
backfill.py	One-time historical backfill for a date range
noise_backfill.py	Deprecated — was used when backfill.py only covered Mon/Wed/Fri; now a no-op (exits immediately if run)
config.example.json	Config template (copy to config.json)
.github/workflows/alive.yml	GitHub Actions schedule (3× daily)

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License

MIT