Solus proposes the MPL-2.0 license to share instructions with aerynOS
Solus is seeking to relicense its package repository under MPL-2.0 after infrastructure moves left licensing information unclear. The project has begun contacting contributors who have not approved the change. The license choice is also intended to make it easier to exchange package instructions with aerynOS, which uses MPL-2.0. How did the ambiguity arise? In May 2026, Solus announced that there…
Solus is considering a shift to the MPL-2.0 license for its package repository, following recent infrastructure complications that have left licensing details ambiguous. The organization has initiated contact with contributors who have not yet given their approval for this change. This decision is also driven by the desire to facilitate the exchange of package instructions with aerynOS, which currently utilizes the MPL-2.0 license itself.
The ambiguity surrounding Solus' repository license arose in May 2026, coinciding with the organization's restructuring of its work organization. Previously, instructions were housed in a single repository, licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later. However, upon moving development to a Solus-managed platform, the instructions were fragmented into separate repositories, but crucial licensing information was not moved along with them.
Following a return to GitHub and consolidation of these instructions into the main repository, the licensing situation remained unclear, hindering both legal usage and contributions from others.
MPL-2.0 was selected due to its requirement that modifications to licensed files remain under the same license, while also permitting the combination of such files with code under different licenses. This makes it a suitable choice for aerynOS, which also relies on MPL-2.0. The two projects share common tools like ent and boulder, and Solus plans to gradually adapt its guidelines to align with aerynOS' format.
This alignment aims to streamline shared work between the two distributions, eliminating the need for separate guidelines for identical software.
Solus is already utilizing aerynOS' ent and boulder tools in specific areas of its process, and there are plans to further integrate these tools by transitioning its existing guidelines to a format compatible with aerynOS. This integration will enable the projects to collaborate more seamlessly on their packaging systems. However, these collaborative efforts are contingent upon resolving the licensing ambiguity in Solus' repository.
The organization has already begun reaching out to contributors who have not given consent, requesting their approval via email or through GitHub issue #7815.
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