List License Templates

List all available license templates that can be added to your repository.

Usage

gh-templates license list [OPTIONS] [ARGS]...

Options

Option	Description
-p, --popular	Show only popular/common licenses
-n, --non-software	Show non-software licenses
-s, --search <SEARCH>	Search for licenses containing this term, can contain wildcard
--include-deprecated	Show deprecated licenses as well
--update-cache	Update the license cache before listing
--osi-approved	Show only OSI-approved licenses
--fsf-libre	Show only FSF libre-approved licenses
-h, --help	Print help

Examples

List All Available Licenses

gh-templates license list

This command displays all available license templates with their names and descriptions.

List Only Popular Licenses

gh-templates license list --popular

Search for Specific Licenses

gh-templates license list --search mit

List OSI-approved Licenses

gh-templates license list --osi-approved

Sample Output

Available License Templates:

mit                   MIT License - Simple and permissive
apache-2.0           Apache License 2.0 - Permissive with patent protection
gpl-3.0              GNU General Public License v3.0 - Strong copyleft
bsd-3-clause         3-Clause BSD License - Permissive with attribution
bsd-2-clause         2-Clause BSD License - Simplified BSD
isc                  ISC License - Simplified permissive license
mpl-2.0              Mozilla Public License 2.0 - Weak copyleft
lgpl-3.0             GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0
unlicense            The Unlicense - Public domain dedication
cc0-1.0              Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal

Understanding License Names

License names shown in the list can be used directly with the add command:

# Use any license name from the list
gh-templates license add mit
gh-templates license add apache-2.0
gh-templates license add gpl-3.0

License Categories

Licenses are typically categorized by their restrictions:

Permissive Licenses

• MIT: Most permissive, allows almost anything
• Apache-2.0: Permissive with patent protection
• BSD-3-Clause: Permissive with attribution requirement
• ISC: Simple and permissive

Copyleft Licenses

• GPL-3.0: Strong copyleft, derivatives must be open-source
• LGPL-3.0: Lesser GPL, allows linking with proprietary code
• MPL-2.0: Weak copyleft, file-level copyleft

Public Domain

• Unlicense: Releases code to public domain
• CC0-1.0: Creative Commons public domain dedication

Choosing a License

Consider these factors when selecting a license:

1. Project Type: Open-source library vs. application
2. Commercial Use: Whether you want to allow commercial use
3. Attribution: Whether you require attribution
4. Copyleft: Whether derivatives must remain open-source
5. Patent Rights: Whether you need patent protection

Quick Reference

Need	Recommended License
Maximum freedom	MIT
Patent protection	Apache-2.0
Keep derivatives open	GPL-3.0
Public domain	Unlicense
Simple permissive	ISC

Next Steps

After reviewing the available licenses:

1. Preview licenses you're considering:

   gh-templates license preview mit

2. Add a license to your repository:

   gh-templates license add mit

3. Compare licenses by previewing multiple options:

   gh-templates license preview mit apache-2.0

Related Commands

• Preview License Templates - Preview license content
• Add License Templates - Add licenses to your repository