License checker

Questions & Answers

What is go-licenses?

go-licenses is a command-line tool developed by Google that analyzes the dependency tree of a Go package or binary. It provides a report on the licenses used by the project's libraries.

Who should use go-licenses?

Developers, compliance officers, and legal teams working with Go projects should use go-licenses to ensure software license compliance and manage open-source dependencies effectively.

How does go-licenses compare to other license checking tools?

go-licenses is specifically designed for Go projects, integrating seamlessly with Go modules. It not only reports on licenses but can also collect license documents, copyright notices, and source code for redistribution compliance.

When is go-licenses particularly useful?

It is useful before redistributing a Go binary or package to ensure all third-party license obligations are met. It can also be integrated into CI/CD pipelines to monitor license compliance continuously.

What are the main capabilities of go-licenses?

go-licenses can generate a CSV report listing libraries, their license URLs, and license types. Additionally, it can save all collected license documents, copyright notices, and relevant source code to a specified directory.