> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# License Guide

> Complete reference of software licenses used in the Awesome-Selfhosted project, with explanations and links to SPDX specifications.

## Understanding Software Licenses

This guide provides a comprehensive list of all software licenses used in the Awesome-Selfhosted project. Each license has specific terms and conditions for use, modification, and distribution of the software.

<Note>
  All licenses listed use [SPDX](https://spdx.org/) (Software Package Data Exchange) identifiers for standardization and clarity.
</Note>

## License Categories

Software licenses in this list fall into several broad categories:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Copyleft Licenses" icon="arrows-rotate">
    Require derivative works to be released under the same or compatible license (e.g., GPL, AGPL)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Permissive Licenses" icon="unlock">
    Allow more freedom in how software is used and redistributed (e.g., MIT, BSD, Apache)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Public Domain" icon="earth-americas">
    Software released with no copyright restrictions (e.g., CC0, Unlicense)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Specialized Licenses" icon="certificate">
    Licenses with specific requirements or use cases (e.g., EUPL, MPL)
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Complete License List

Below is the complete list of licenses used in the Awesome-Selfhosted project:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Permissive Licenses">
    These licenses place minimal restrictions on how software can be used, modified, and redistributed.

    * **`0BSD`** - [BSD Zero-Clause Licence](https://spdx.org/licenses/0BSD.html)
    * **`Apache-2.0`** - [Apache License, Version 2.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/Apache-2.0.html)
    * **`Artistic-2.0`** - [Artistic License Version 2.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/Artistic-2.0.html)
    * **`BSD-2-Clause`** - [BSD 2-clause "Simplified"](https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-2-Clause.html)
    * **`BSD-2-Clause-FreeBSD`** - [BSD 2-Clause FreeBSD License](https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-2-Clause-FreeBSD.html)
    * **`BSD-3-Clause`** - [BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised"](https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause.html)
    * **`BSD-3-Clause-Attribution`** - [BSD with attribution](https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause-Attribution.html)
    * **`BSD-4-Clause`** - [BSD 4-clause "Original"](https://spdx.org/licenses/BSD-4-Clause.html)
    * **`ISC`** - [Internet Systems Consortium License](https://spdx.org/licenses/ISC.html)
    * **`MIT`** - [MIT License](https://spdx.org/licenses/MIT.html)
    * **`Zlib`** - [Zlib/libpng License](https://spdx.org/licenses/Zlib.html)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Copyleft Licenses (GPL Family)">
    These licenses require derivative works to be distributed under the same license terms.

    * **`AGPL-3.0`** - [GNU Affero General Public License 3.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/AGPL-3.0.html)\
      *Network copyleft: requires source code distribution even for network services*
    * **`GPL-1.0`** - [GNU General Public License 1.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/GPL-1.0.html)
    * **`GPL-2.0`** - [GNU General Public License 2.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/GPL-2.0.html)
    * **`GPL-3.0`** - [GNU General Public License 3.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/GPL-3.0.html)
    * **`LGPL-2.1`** - [Lesser General Public License 2.1](https://spdx.org/licenses/LGPL-2.1.html)
    * **`LGPL-3.0`** - [Lesser General Public License 3.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/LGPL-3.0.html)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Mozilla & Eclipse Licenses">
    Weak copyleft licenses that allow mixing with proprietary code.

    * **`EPL-1.0`** - [Eclipse Public License, Version 1.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/EPL-1.0.html)
    * **`EPL-2.0`** - [Eclipse Public License, Version 2.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/EPL-2.0.html)
    * **`MPL-1.1`** - [Mozilla Public License Version 1.1](https://spdx.org/licenses/MPL-1.1.html)
    * **`MPL-2.0`** - [Mozilla Public License](https://spdx.org/licenses/MPL-2.0.html)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Creative Commons & Public Domain">
    Licenses for public domain dedication and creative works.

    * **`CC-BY-SA-3.0`** - [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License](https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-SA-3.0.html)
    * **`CC-BY-SA-4.0`** - [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License](https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-SA-4.0.html)
    * **`CC0-1.0`** - [Public Domain/Creative Common Zero 1.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html)
    * **`Unlicense`** - [The Unlicense](https://spdx.org/licenses/Unlicense.html)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Corporate & Institutional Licenses">
    Licenses created by corporations and institutions.

    * **`AAL`** - [Attribution Assurance License](https://spdx.org/licenses/AAL.html)
    * **`APSL-2.0`** - [Apple Public Source License, Version 2.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/APSL-2.0.html)
    * **`CDDL-1.0`** - [Common Development and Distribution License](https://spdx.org/licenses/CDDL-1.0.html)
    * **`CECILL-B`** - [CEA CNRS INRIA Logiciel Libre](https://spdx.org/licenses/CECILL-B.html)
    * **`CPAL-1.0`** - [Common Public Attribution License Version 1.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/CPAL-1.0.html)
    * **`ECL-2.0`** - [Educational Community License, Version 2.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/ECL-2.0.html)
    * **`EUPL-1.2`** - [European Union Public License 1.2](https://spdx.org/licenses/EUPL-1.2.html)
    * **`IPL-1.0`** - [IBM Public License](https://spdx.org/licenses/IPL-1.0.html)
    * **`OSL-3.0`** - [Open Software License 3.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/OSL-3.0.html)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Specialized & Other Licenses">
    Various specialized licenses and unique cases.

    * **`Beerware`** - [Beerware License](https://spdx.org/licenses/Beerware.html)\
      *Humorous license: "Buy me a beer if you like this software"*
    * **`CAL-1.0`** - [Cryptographic Autonomy License 1.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/CAL-1.0.html)
    * **`Ruby`** - [Ruby License](https://spdx.org/licenses/Ruby.html)
    * **`Sendmail`** - [Sendmail License](https://spdx.org/licenses/Sendmail.html)
    * **`WTFPL`** - [Do What the Fuck You Want to Public License](https://spdx.org/licenses/WTFPL.html)
    * **`ZPL-2.0`** - [Zope Public License 2.0](https://spdx.org/licenses/ZPL-2.0.html)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## License Comparison

Here's a quick comparison of the most commonly used licenses in the project:

| License      | Type             | Share-Alike | Patent Grant | Commercial Use |
| ------------ | ---------------- | ----------- | ------------ | -------------- |
| MIT          | Permissive       | No          | No           | Yes            |
| Apache-2.0   | Permissive       | No          | Yes          | Yes            |
| GPL-3.0      | Copyleft         | Yes         | Yes          | Yes            |
| AGPL-3.0     | Network Copyleft | Yes         | Yes          | Yes            |
| BSD-3-Clause | Permissive       | No          | No           | Yes            |
| MPL-2.0      | Weak Copyleft    | File-level  | Yes          | Yes            |

## Choosing a License

When contributing software to the list, ensure you correctly identify the license:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check the Repository">
    Look for a LICENSE or COPYING file in the software's repository.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the License">
    Confirm the license matches one of the SPDX identifiers listed above.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use the SPDX Identifier">
    Use the short SPDX identifier (e.g., `MIT`, `GPL-3.0`) in your entry.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Multiple Licenses

Some software is released under multiple licenses. In these cases:

* Use `/` for dual-licensing where users can choose: `Apache-2.0/MIT`
* List the primary or most permissive license first

<Warning>
  **Important**: Only include software that meets the Free Software definition. Non-free software should be added to the [Non-Free list](https://github.com/awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted/blob/master/non-free.md) instead.
</Warning>

## Resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="SPDX License List" icon="list" href="https://spdx.org/licenses/">
    Official SPDX license reference
  </Card>

  <Card title="Choose a License" icon="scale-balanced" href="https://choosealicense.com/">
    Help choosing a license for your project
  </Card>

  <Card title="Free Software Definition" icon="book" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software">
    Learn about Free Software
  </Card>

  <Card title="OSI Approved Licenses" icon="certificate" href="https://opensource.org/licenses">
    Open Source Initiative approved licenses
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## License Terms Summary

<Info>
  The Awesome-Selfhosted list itself is licensed under the [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), meaning you can share and adapt the list with attribution under the same license.
</Info>

For detailed legal information about any license, always refer to the official SPDX specification linked above or consult with a legal professional.