author: caol64 title: 'Got the "JetBrains" Open-Source Free License' slug: apply-for-jetbrains-oss-development-license description: Dive into the process of applying for a JetBrains open source license, upgrading your development toolkit, and contributing more effectively to your open source projects. date: 2023-12-31 15:44:56 draft: false ShowToc: true TocOpen: true tags:
Remember three months ago I open-sourced the ps2mc-browser project on GitHub, a magical little tool that can view and render 3D icons of PS2 archives. Occasionally pushing code, adding features, and now finally releasing its first stable version.
Then I turned my attention to JetBrains' "Open Source Development Licenses".
JetBrains is a company dedicated to building the most intelligent and efficient development tools. They offer a program called "Open Source Development Licenses" to support developers who contribute to the open-source community.
For this reason, I submitted an application to JetBrains. Surprisingly, the application process was much simpler than I had imagined. It only required providing relevant information about the project, such as the project's link, open-source license type, project activity status, etc., and then submitting the form, waiting for approval from JetBrains officials.
Must comply with the open-source definition, with project source code publicly available and covered by relevant open-source licenses such as the MIT License, Apache 2.0, etc.
Regular development is required, meaning new code should be submitted every month. JetBrains will automatically check the project's activity over the past three months. This does not include non-code contributions (e.g., README.md, .txt) and content submitted by Dependabot.
The project must meet the conditions of being software, such as being a framework, library, plugin, or application. It does not apply to code examples, blogs, or LeetCode solutions.
Project documentation must be appropriately done, such as providing detailed README files, code of conduct, contribution guidelines, etc.
The project must not be continuously funded by commercial companies or organizations (NGOs, educational, research, or governmental). Compensation for server/infrastructure costs and accepting one-time voluntary donations is allowed.
Project developers should voluntarily maintain the project in their free time, without support for contributors working during working hours or paid freelance contributors.
Only free versions of the software are provided, without offering any commercial services related to the project, such as paid support, consulting, customer bug fixes, etc.
Free licenses are only provided to core project contributors who regularly contribute to the project, and these contributions should be visible in the repository.
For detailed steps on the application process, please refer to this link.
After waiting for 2 days, I received an email from JetBrains informing me that my application had been approved and providing a license for the JetBrains All Products Pack.
JetBrains' All Products Pack license covers almost all the functionalities I need. From IntelliJ IDEA for Java, PyCharm for Python, WebStorm for front-end development to DataGrip for data analysis, and many other products.
What does this mean for me? It simply means I have more options to execute my work, thereby enhancing my work efficiency and programming quality.
To put it more directly, with this "comprehensive license," I no longer have to hesitate about purchasing the premium version or worry about the trial period ending. I can find more focus for my work, especially for open-source projects.
Within JetBrains' products, each one is an excellent, efficient development tool, benefiting countless professional developers.
I'm grateful for JetBrains' strong support for the open-source community. Similarly, I hope my experience might help maintainers or developers of other open-source projects. Don't be afraid to try; bravely apply for your open-source license because perhaps the next one to receive a pleasant surprise could be you.