License Writer

Overview

This skill helps you add appropriate open source licenses to your project. It supports both standard open source licenses and NASA JPL variants with institutional copyright headers.

When to Use This Skill

• Starting a new project that needs a license
• Converting a private project to open source
• Updating or clarifying licensing for an existing project
• Ensuring NASA/JPL compliance for government projects

Supported Licenses

Standard Open Source Licenses

• Apache 2.0: Permissive license with patent protection
• MIT: Simple and permissive license

NASA JPL Variants

• Apache 2.0 + JPL Copyright: Apache license with Caltech/JPL institutional headers
• MIT + JPL Copyright: MIT license with Caltech/JPL institutional headers

Workflow

Step 1: Check for Existing License

First, check if a LICENSE file already exists in the repository root:

ls -la LICENSE*

If a license exists, ask the user if they want to replace it or keep it.

Step 2: Determine License Type

Ask the user:

1. Which license would you like to use?

   • Apache 2.0 (recommended for most projects)
   • MIT (simpler, more permissive)

2. Is this a NASA JPL project?

   • Yes: Use JPL variant with institutional copyright
   • No: Use standard open source license

Step 3: Select and Apply License

Based on the user's choices, copy the appropriate license file from the assets directory:

• Apache 2.0 + JPL: assets/LICENSE-APACHE-JPL
• MIT + JPL: assets/LICENSE-MIT-JPL
• Apache 2.0: assets/LICENSE-APACHE
• MIT: assets/LICENSE-MIT

Copy the selected file to the repository root as LICENSE:

cp assets/LICENSE-[TYPE] LICENSE

Step 4: Verify and Customize

1. Open the LICENSE file
2. If using a JPL variant, verify the copyright year is current
3. If needed, update the copyright holder information
4. Confirm the license is in place

Step 5: Update Documentation

Remind the user to:

• Add a license badge to their README.md
• Reference the license in their documentation
• Add copyright headers to source files (optional but recommended)

Quick Reference

License Selection Guide

Choose Apache 2.0 when:

• You want explicit patent protection
• Your project includes significant original code
• You're concerned about patent litigation
• Industry standard for enterprise software

Choose MIT when:

• You want maximum simplicity
• Your project is a small utility or library
• You want to minimize license overhead
• Compatible with virtually any other license

Use JPL variant when:

• Project is funded by or developed at NASA JPL
• Institutional copyright attribution is required
• Government compliance is needed

Assets Available

• LICENSE-APACHE: Standard Apache 2.0 License
• LICENSE-APACHE-JPL: Apache 2.0 with JPL/Caltech copyright
• LICENSE-MIT: Standard MIT License
• LICENSE-MIT-JPL: MIT with JPL/Caltech copyright

Additional Resources

• Apache License 2.0
• MIT License
• Choose a License