Choosing a License

Selecting an open source license is a pivotal step when launching a community-driven software project. It not only determines how others can use, modify, or distribute your code but also defines your project's governance model. With your idea validated and infrastructure ready, this guide will help you navigate the two main license categories and publish your project with confidence.

To streamline your decision:

• Identify your goals: community contributions, commercial adoption, or strict sharing.
• Compare license obligations: attribution, copyleft reciprocity, patent grants.
• Align with your project's mission and long-term vision.

License Categories

Copyleft Licenses

Copyleft licenses ensure that every modification or fork remains free and open by requiring derivative works to inherit the same terms as the original. This model fosters a collaborative ecosystem where improvements stay within the community.

Key considerations:

• Enforces reciprocity for downstream users
• Protects community contributions from being closed-source
• May deter commercial adopters who need proprietary integration

Permissive Licenses

Permissive licenses offer maximum flexibility by allowing your code to be used in both open source and proprietary projects. The only typical requirement is to retain the original copyright notice and license text.

Why choose permissive?

• Broad commercial adoption
• Fewer barriers for contributors
• Ideal for libraries or tools aiming for wide integration

Publishing Your Project

Once you’ve chosen a license, make it official:

1. Add a LICENSE file at your repository root.
2. Reference the license in your README.md.
3. Tag your initial release to mark your project’s version history.

Popular hosting platforms:

• GitHub – the largest development community
• GitLab – built-in CI/CD pipelines and self-hosting options

Links and References

• Open Source Initiative
• GitHub
• GitLab