# MontaukOS Software License

Copyright (c) 2025-2026 Montauk Operating System Project (the "MontaukOS Project").

This document governs the use of MontaukOS, including its kernel, userspace programs, libraries, bootable images, documentation, artwork, and all accompanying materials (collectively, the "Software"), except for the third-party components described in Section 5. MontaukOS is open-source software: its source code is published for anyone to read, build, and modify, subject to the terms below.

A plain-text version of this license is available at license.txt.

## 1. Grant of Rights

Subject to the conditions in Section 2, the MontaukOS Project grants you a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to:

- (a) use and run the Software on any device, for any purpose;
- (b) view, study, and build the Software from source;
- (c) copy and redistribute the Software, in source or binary form;
- (d) modify the Software and create derivative works of it; and
- (e) copy and redistribute your modified versions, in source or binary form.

## 2. Conditions

The rights in Section 1 are conditioned on the following:

- (a) Attribution. Redistributions, modified or not, must retain the above copyright notice, this license text, and the THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES file. You may not remove or obscure copyright or license notices in the Software.
- (b) No misrepresentation. You must not misrepresent the origin of the Software. Modified versions must be clearly marked as modified and must not be presented as official MontaukOS releases.
- (c) Noncommercial distribution. You may not sell the Software or modified versions of it, charge a fee for access to them, or distribute them as part of a commercial product or paid service, without prior written permission from the MontaukOS Project. Using the Software internally (including in a commercial setting) and distributing it free of charge are permitted.
- (d) Names and marks. This license does not grant rights to use the "MontaukOS" name or logos, except as needed for the factual attribution required above.

## 3. Contributions and Feedback

If you submit code, suggestions, or other feedback to the MontaukOS Project, you grant the MontaukOS Project a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, modify, and incorporate it for any purpose.

## 4. Termination

This license terminates automatically if you materially breach its terms and fail to cure the breach within 30 days of becoming aware of it. Upon termination you must stop distributing the Software; copies already lawfully obtained by others are unaffected. Sections 3, 5, 6, and 7 survive termination.

## 5. Third-Party Components

The Software incorporates or is distributed alongside third-party components that remain the property of their respective owners and are licensed under their own terms, including the Limine bootloader, Flanterm, BearSSL, stb_image and stb_truetype, the DOOM engine (via doomgeneric), the NetSurf web browser and the NetSurf project libraries (libcss, libdom, libhubbub, libparserutils, libwapcaplet, libnsutils, libnslog, libnspsl, libnsgif, libnsbmp), utf8proc, zlib, the Tiny C Compiler, Lua, the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), GNU Binutils, the Flat Remix icon theme, the bundled fonts, the Mozilla CA certificate bundle, Intel Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (iwlwifi) firmware, and the default wallpaper photograph. GCC and GNU Binutils are included as the native MontaukOS SDK toolchain (GCC 14.2.0 and Binutils 2.43.1) under the GNU GPLv3, with the GCC Runtime Library Exception where applicable. Copyright (C) 1987-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc.; additional copyrights belong to the respective GCC, GNU Binutils, and other contributors. The NetSurf application is included under the GNU GPLv2; its visual artwork is under the MIT License. Copyright (C) the NetSurf Browser Project and its respective contributors. Nothing in this license modifies, supersedes, or limits the license terms applicable to those components; to the extent of any conflict, the third-party license controls for that component. The applicable copyright notices and license texts are set out in the THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES file that accompanies the Software (also on the MontaukOS ISO at `0:/os/licenses/`).

## 6. No Warranty

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. MONTAUKOS IS EXPERIMENTAL, HOBBYIST SYSTEM SOFTWARE THAT OPERATES AT A LOW LEVEL AND MAY CAUSE LOSS OF DATA OR DAMAGE TO HARDWARE; YOU USE IT ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

## 7. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE MONTAUKOS PROJECT OR ITS AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF THE MONTAUKOS PROJECT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID, IF ANY, FOR THE SOFTWARE.

## 8. General

If any provision of this license is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. The failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of the right to do so later.

For licensing inquiries (including commercial distribution), contact: licensing@montaukos.org

Back to Home