Licensor is a command-line utility designed to streamline the process of writing software licenses by providing a simple and convenient interface. With the increasing importance of clear and legally binding licenses for open-source software projects, Licensor aims to simplify the generation of license text while ensuring compliance with licensing requirements.
Key features and functionalities of Licensor include:
- License Generation: Licensor allows users to generate license text for their software projects quickly and easily. By specifying the desired license type and any additional parameters, users can generate license text tailored to their project’s licensing needs.
- Standard License Templates: Licensor provides support for a variety of commonly used open-source licenses, including popular options such as MIT, Apache, GNU General Public License (GPL), and more. Users can choose from a selection of standard license templates, ensuring compliance with established licensing practices.
- Custom License Options: In addition to standard license templates, Licensor offers flexibility for users to create custom license text. Users can define custom license terms, include project-specific information, and specify additional clauses or conditions as needed, allowing for greater customization and specificity in license agreements.
- Output to stdout: Licensor outputs the generated license text directly to the standard output (stdout), rather than writing it to a file. This allows users to easily capture the license text and integrate it into their development workflows or documentation processes as needed.
- Command-Line Interface (CLI): Licensor is designed with a user-friendly command-line interface, making it simple and intuitive to use. Users can invoke Licensor from the command line with appropriate options and parameters, enabling easy integration into scripting and automation workflows.
- Open-Source and Community-driven: Licensor is an open-source project hosted on GitHub, allowing for community contributions, feedback, and collaboration. This ensures that Licensor remains up-to-date, reliable, and responsive to the evolving needs of developers and open-source projects.
licensor Command Examples
1. Write the MIT license to a file named LICENSE:
# licensor [MIT] > [LICENSE]
2. Write the MIT license with a [p]laceholder copyright notice to a file named LICENSE:
# licensor -p [MIT] > [LICENSE]
3. Specify a copyright holder named Bobby Tables:
# licensor [MIT] ["Bobby Tables"] > [LICENSE]
4. Specify licence exceptions with a WITH expression:
# licensor "[Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception]" > [LICENSE]
5. List all available licenses:
# licensor --licenses
6. List all available exceptions:
# licensor --exceptions
Summary
Overall, Licensor provides a convenient and efficient solution for generating software licenses, simplifying the process of ensuring proper licensing and legal compliance for open-source projects. By offering standard license templates, custom license options, and a user-friendly command-line interface, Licensor empowers developers to easily create clear and legally binding license agreements for their software projects.