Public Domain

Pirate Linux is released into the public domain. To the extent possible under law, the authors have waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.

Information is free. Code is speech. Knowledge belongs to everyone.

What This Means

You are free to:

Third-Party Components

Pirate Linux includes many third-party packages, each with their own licenses. The Linux kernel is GPL v2. Individual applications retain their respective licenses. The public domain dedication applies specifically to the Pirate Linux build system, configuration scripts, and documentation authored by the project.

The Pirate Ethos

We believe that copyright restrictions on software and information stifle innovation, impede education, and serve entrenched interests at the expense of the commons. By releasing our work without restriction, we demonstrate an alternative model.