Licensing

Dungbeetle is source-available. The CLI and core engine are licensed so anyone can use and build on them freely — including commercially — but not resell them as a competing product; the cloud server is source-available with a restriction that prevents a competing hosted clone. This page summarises the model — the authoritative texts are the LICENSE files in each repository and the CLI repo's LICENSING.md.

The split

Component	Repository	License	SPDX	OSI OSS?
CLI & core engine (dungbeetle)	CLI repository	Functional Source License 1.1	FSL-1.1-ALv2	⚠️ Source-available (converts to Apache-2.0 after 2 years)
Cloud server (dungbeetle-server)	this repository	Business Source License 1.1	BUSL-1.1	⚠️ Source-available (converts to Apache-2.0)

• CLI — FSL-1.1-ALv2. Use it anywhere — including internal and commercial work and CI — except offering it to others as a competing product or service. Each released version automatically converts to Apache-2.0 on the second anniversary of its release, so the protection is time-limited, not permanent.
• Server — BUSL-1.1. The source is available and you may self-host it for your own use. You may not offer it to third parties as a hosted/managed service competing with Dungbeetle's own. On the Change Date (2030-06-28) each released version converts automatically to Apache-2.0.

Can someone sell a competing Dungbeetle?

No — that's the point of the licensing. The CLI's FSL-1.1 forbids repackaging or reselling it as a competing product before its Apache-2.0 conversion, and BUSL-1.1 blocks a third party from rebranding the server as a competing "Dungbeetle cloud" before the Change Date. Separately, "Dungbeetle" and the logo are trademarks, so a fork must be renamed.

Contributing

Contributions are accepted under the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) — sign off each commit with git commit -s. Your contribution is licensed under the license of the component you modify (FSL-1.1-ALv2 for the CLI, BUSL-1.1 for the cloud server).

Commercial licensing

For alternative or commercial licensing of the server, enterprise self-hosting, or any licensing question, contact the maintainer (see the security policy for contact details).

This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. The LICENSE files are the controlling texts.