FAQ

Lsos project users

Open source developers

Who needs to pay?

Lsos projects are free for:

• Individuals
• Small projects (<3 developers by default)
• Small companies (<10 developers by default)
• Non-profits of any size

Defaults can vary by Lsos projects.

Who needs an activation key?

No activation key is required:

• During the free trial.
• If your Git repository has few active Git authors (<3 by default).
• If your Git repository is public.

How do I get an activation key?

You get an activation key by filling an online formular, then add it to your project with the command $ lsos activate <activation-key>.

I'm a company, how much do I pay?

For small companies (<10 developers by default) Lsos projects are free. For larger companies, an Lsos project costs between 1$ and 40$ per month (default: 10$ per month).

A developer being a part- or full-time employee who's writing software source code for the company.

Can I fork an Lsos project?

Yes, the source code of Lsos projects is MIT licensed. Anyone can fork the code, remove the Lsos, and turn the project into a standard MIT-licensed project with no Lsos.

Can I fork an Lsos project to avoid the fee?

From a legal perspective, yes you can. However, we take measures against those who we know are circumventing the fee.

Can I contribute to an Lsos project?

Yes, anyone can fork and contribute to an Lsos project (just like any other MIT licensed project). No activation key is required to contribute.

How long do fees apply?

Fees apply during development only. If you develop a software for 3 months and deploy it during 10 years, you pay for 3 months only. If you need to write a quick patch at a later point, you can purchase an activation key that is valid only for a couple of days.

Can I choose the price?

Yes, you can choose:

• Price.
• Size of small companies for which your code is free.
• Number of Git authors for which your code is free and no activation key is required.
• Free trial duration.

Note we discourage excessive pricing to ensure accessibility. For most projects, we recommend:

• 10$/month.
• Free for companies with <10 developers.
• Free for Git repositories with <3 Git authors.
• 7 days free trial.

Can I remove the Lsos?

Yes, simply remove the Lsos library from your code.

How much does the Lsos take?

We take between 0% and 3% depending on the project.

Doesn't selling contradict the MIT License?

The MIT License allows selling Software:

Permission is hereby granted [...] the rights to [...] sell copies of the Software.

Is the Lsos library heavy?

No, the Lsos library is tiny and has no dependencies (runtime is ~100 LOC and postinstall script is ~1k LOC). Activation key verification is done offline by using asymmetric encryption.

What does the Lsos library do?

The Lsos library verifies that companies have a valid activation key: if the key is missing the library logs a warning in the developer console, and if the company persists in not getting an activation key then the library throws an error that blocks the usage of your code.

An activation key is not required if:

• the user's Git repository is public, or
• the user's Git repository had only few Git authors (<3 by default) in the last 3 months.

The Lsos library then has no effect. This means that the Lsos doesn't make any difference for individuals and small projects, and your project can be developed and contributed to without additional friction.

Your users can get an activation key by filling a short online formular. Small companies and nonprofits get a free activation key while larger companies pay to get an activation key.