elmat (El Mat) - Extension to License Matrix

This project provides:

• Compatibility for proprietary license called Proprietary-linked

• Python API

• Command line program

Compatibility for proprietary license

This can be used in combination with Further information OSADL's License Checklist and more specifically to extend the license matrix with a propprietary license.

Extending flict

flict can be extend with support for the proprietary license. This is done in two steps:

• create a new license matrix file (using elmat)

• use the new matrix file to flict

Create a new license matrix file

Assuming we want to call the new matrix file extended-matrix.json

$ elmat merge > extended-matrix.json

Use the new matrix file to flict

use the new matrix file extended-matrix.json as input to flict to verify if elmat's proprietary license, Proprietary-linked, can be used as outbound for the inbound license "MIT OR BSD-3-Clause".

$ flict --license-matrix-file extended-matrix.json -of text verify -il MIT OR BSD-3-Clause -ol Proprietary-linked

Python API

See Python API.

Command line program

The command line program can do four things:

• merge licenses

• list supported licenses

• verify an outbound license with an inbound license

• get compatibility for an outbound #license with an inbound license

• extend elmat with your own licenses

Merge licenses

To merge and output osadl_matrix with elmat's license:

$ elmat merge 

List supported licenses

$ elmat list

Verify an outbound license with an inbound license

Elmat can verify a single outbound license with a single inbound license. As an example elmat can check if the inbound license "BSD-3-Clause" be used by the outbound license "Proprietary-linked" and vice versa.

Example:

$ elmat verify -il BSD-3-Clause -ol Proprietary-linked
true
$ elmat verify -il Proprietary-linked -ol BSD-3-Clause
false

Note: If you need support for complex license expressions (e.g. MIT OR BSD-3-Clause), check out flict

Get compatibility for an outbound license with an inbound license

If you want a more detailed answer, then from verify, you can get the actual compatibility status with the compatibility command.

Example:

$ elmat/__main__.py compatibility -il BSD-3-Clause -ol Proprietary-linked
"Yes"
$ elmat/__main__.py compatibility -il Proprietary-linked -ol BSD-3-Clause
"Unknown"

Note: If you need support for complex license expressions (e.g. MIT OR BSD-3-Clause), check out flict

Extend elmat with your own licenses

This can be done in combination with the commands above using the option --license-file. Let's assume you have a file, called foobar-license.json, defining the compatiblity for the license FooBar that you would like to extend elmat with.

Example without extending elmat with your license file:

$ elmat/__main__.py -of text compatibility -il BSD-3-Clause -ol FooBar
Outbound license "FooBar" not supported.

Example when extending elmat with your license file:

$ elmat --license-file foobar-license.json -of text compatibility -il BSD-3-Clause -ol FooBar
Yes
$ elmat --license-file foobar-license.json -of text compatibility -il Apache-2.0 -ol FooBar
No
$ elmat --license-file foobar-license.json -of text compatibility -il BSD-2-Clause -ol FooBar
Unknown

*Note: read more about the format for extending the elmat in Extending Elmat.

License definitions used in the example above (foobar-license.json):

{
    "extended_licenses": {
	"FooBar": {
	    "BSD-3-Clause": "Yes",
	    "Apache-2.0": "No"
	}
    }
}

Related projects

• flict - License Compatibility Tool

• FOSS Licenses - A database with meta data for FOSS licenses adding useful information to existing licenses aiming at simplifying compliance work.

• Open Source License Checklists - Open Source License Obligations Checklists

• osadl_matrix - Python API on top of OSADL license compatibility matrix

• ScanCode LicenseDB - LicenseDB is likely the largest collection of software licenses available on earth and may be beyond.