How to add open source license in your projects
What is Open Source License?
An open-source license is a type of license that allows software product to be used, modified and distributed. In general, it allows the source code of a project to be open or transparent, utilized, or changed or manipulated by the community. This allows everyone to review and modify the source code for their own needs. All open source license allows for commercial and private usage. The open-source licensed software is mostly available free of charge, it is good for the developers which improve their learning curve on research and development. However, open-source licenses may have some restrictions, particularly regarding the expression of respect to the origin of software. One popular set of open-source software licenses are those approved by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) based on their Open Source Definition (OSD). You will learn how to add open source license in your projects.
Type of Open Source License
1) GNU AGPLv3
Permissions of this strongest copyleft license are conditioned on making the available complete source code of licensed works and modifications, which include larger works using a licensed work, under the same license. Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. When a modified version is used to provide a service over a network, the complete source code of the modified version must be made available.
Permissions
Conditions
- Disclose source
- License and copyright notice
- Network use is distribution
- Same license
- State changes
Limitations
- Liability
- Warranty
2) GNU GPLv3
Permissions of this strong copyleft license are conditioned on making the available complete source code of licensed works and modifications, which include larger works using a licensed work, under the same license. Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights.
Permissions
Conditions
- Disclose source
- License and copyright notice
- Same license
- State changes
Limitations
- Liability
- Warranty
3) GNU LGPLv3
Permissions of this copyleft license are conditioned on making the available complete source code of licensed works and modifications under the same license or the GNU GPLv3. Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. However, a larger work using the licensed work through interfaces provided by the licensed work may be distributed under different terms and without source code for the larger work.
Permissions
Conditions
- Disclose source
- License and copyright notice
- Same license (library)
- State changes
Limitations
- Liability
- Warranty
4) Mozilla Public License 2.0
Permissions of this weak copyleft license are conditioned on making the available source code of licensed files and modifications of those files under the same license (or in certain cases, one of the GNU licenses). Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. However, a larger work using the licensed work may be distributed under different terms and without source code for files added in the larger work.
Permissions
Conditions
- Disclose source
- License and copyright notice
- Same license (file)
Limitations
- Liability
- Trademark use
- Warranty
5) Apache License 2.0
A permissive license whose main conditions require preservation of copyright and license notices. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. Licensed works, modifications, and larger works may be distributed under different terms and without source code.
Permissions
Conditions
- License and copyright notice
- State changes
Limitations
- Liability
- Trademark use
- Warranty
6) MIT License
A short and simple permissive license with conditions only requiring preservation of copyright and license notices. Licensed works, modifications, and larger works may be distributed under different terms and without source code.
Permissions
Conditions
- License and copyright notice
Limitations
- Liability
- Warranty
7) The Unlicense
A license with no conditions whatsoever which dedicates works to the public domain. Unlicensed works, modifications, and larger works may be distributed under different terms and without source code.
Permissions
Limitations
- Liability
- Warranty
Add Open Source License in Your Github Projects
- Open your GitHub repository in a browser.
- In the root directory, click on.
Create new file - Name the file “LICENSE”.
- Click on.
Choose a license template - Pick one of the licenses.
- Once chosen, click on.
Review and submit Committhe file.
