Revenant: I held a séance for a dead Python library, and it came back passing its tests

Description and use

Revenant resurrected the abandoned Python library requests‑html, restoring 30/30 tests across Python 3.9–3.13, replacing dead CI, and reviving documentation.

Problem

Abandoned open‑source projects often have no maintainers, causing their code to break on modern Python versions and lose CI, documentation, and community support.

Outcome

Revenant resurrected psf/requests-html from 0/30 passing tests to 30/30 across Python 3.9–3.13 by applying a sequence of verified edits, replacing dead CI, and restoring documentation.

Workflow

• Gather full project history (commits, issues, PRs, docs) into searchable memory.
• Ask the ghost: query the project’s records; responses are first‑person and cite source records.
• Run an autopsy: execute the project’s tests in a sandbox, generate a death certificate, and identify causes of failure.
• Iteratively apply small fixes: each candidate edit is tested; if it breaks a passing test it is reverted.
• Repeat until all tests pass or no further improvements are possible.
• Publish the resurrection timeline and updated CI configuration.
• Provide a live séance room for interactive exploration.

Evidence

Revenant holds a séance for abandoned open-source projects. It turns a dead repo's history into a memory you can question, so the project answers in the first person with every sentence cited.

Source

Its first patient, psf/requests-html, went from 0 passing tests to 30/30 on Python 3.9–3.13.

Source

The resurrection timeline: each operation with its verdict and test counts, then the Python matrix and aftercare.

Source