This is a set of LESS helpers, used for styling xcom.me applications.
xcom.me applications are separate modules which do not depend each other and can use their own CSS code just declaring url to compiled CSS file in app.json. xcom.me core doesn't know anything about how and where from this file appears. So, as xcom.me application developer you can use bootstrap or do not — its your own business. But we propose you to use this LESS toolkit.
Of course, you are welcome to use app outside of xcom.me
socialabs bootstrap is common npm module. Read the npm modules installation guide.
socialabs bootstrap contains LESS files which can be imported to your LESS files. All files consists only from paramertric mixins, so bootstrap doesn't declare any id's, classnames and doesn't apply any styles to your elements.
All libraries are collected in bootstrap.less.
To add socialabs bootstrap source files dir to include path, use less compiler which ships with this application instead of native one.
bin/lessc just wraps native LESS compiler and predefines --include-path options so you should just @import 'bootstrap'; in your LESS and start using bootstrap mixins.