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License

ORION is free and open-source software licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0).

Quick Summary

License at a Glance

  • ✅ Use - Use ORION for any purpose
  • ✅ Modify - Change the source code as needed
  • ✅ Distribute - Share ORION with others
  • ✅ Commercial Use - Use in commercial projects
  • ⚠️ Share-Alike - Derivative works must use GPL-3.0
  • ⚠️ Disclose Source - Provide source code when distributing
  • ✅ Patent Grant - Contributors grant patent rights

What This Means for You

As a User

You are free to:

  • Download and use ORION without restrictions
  • Use ORION in research, including published work
  • Use ORION commercially in your business or organization
  • Modify ORION to suit your needs

As a Distributor

If you distribute ORION (modified or unmodified):

  • Provide source code or make it available
  • Include license notice with the software
  • State changes if you modified the code
  • Use the same license (GPL-3.0) for derivative works

As a Contributor

By contributing to ORION:

  • You grant ORION permission to use your contributions
  • Your contributions will be under GPL-3.0
  • You retain copyright of your contributions
  • You grant patent rights (if applicable)

License Compatibility

Compatible Licenses

ORION (GPL-3.0) is compatible with:

  • GPL v3.0 - Same license ✅
  • LGPL v3.0 - Lesser GPL ✅
  • AGPL v3.0 - Affero GPL ✅
  • Apache 2.0 - With proper attribution ✅
  • MIT - Can incorporate MIT code ✅
  • BSD - Can incorporate BSD code ✅

Incompatible Licenses

GPL-3.0 is not compatible with:

  • GPL v2.0 - Earlier GPL version (without "or later" clause) ❌
  • Proprietary licenses - Closed source ❌

License Compatibility

When combining ORION with other software, ensure all licenses are compatible.

Dependencies and Their Licenses

ORION uses several dependencies, each with its own license:

Dependency License Compatibility
Lib_VTK_IO BSD-3-Clause ✅ Compatible
OFF GPL v3.0 ✅ Same license
TecIO Tecplot License ⚠️ Optional, separate terms

See Acknowledgements for full attribution.

Full License Text

The complete GNU General Public License v3.0 text is available:

Warranty Disclaimer

No Warranty

ORION is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. See the full license for complete warranty disclaimer.

Key points:

  • No warranty - Software provided without guarantees
  • No liability - Authors not liable for damages
  • Use at own risk - User assumes all risks