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EnglishWhat license does GDAL use and how can I contribute?
Updated
GDAL is released under an MIT-style Open Source License by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). That means you can use, modify, and redistribute it — including in commercial and closed-source products — as long as you preserve the copyright and license notice. If you want to contribute, the project documents its process through dedicated Community, How to contribute, and How to develop GDAL pages, and it also accepts sponsorship.
License basics
The GDAL documentation states the license directly on its main page: GDAL "is released under an MIT style Open Source License by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation." The site links to a License page for the full text.
What this generally allows under an MIT-style license:
- Use the library and its command line utilities for any purpose, including commercial work.
- Modify the source code and distribute your modified version.
- Redistribute original or modified copies.
- Sublicense and combine it with other code, including proprietary code.
The main obligation is attribution: keep the license and copyright notice with copies or substantial portions of the software. For the exact wording and any project-specific additions, read the License page rather than relying on the summary here.
Ways to contribute
The documentation lists several entry points, each aimed at a different kind of contribution:
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| How to contribute? | General guidance on contributing to the project |
| How to develop GDAL? | Development-oriented information for working on the codebase |
| Community | Mailing lists, channels, and project community resources |
| Sponsors | Organizations supporting the project |
| FAQ | Common questions, including project and usage topics |
Typical contribution paths for an open source geospatial project like this include reporting bugs, improving documentation, submitting code changes, and helping other users. The specific mechanics — where to file issues, how patches are reviewed, coding conventions — are described on the How to contribute and How to develop GDAL pages, so start there for the current process.
Citing GDAL in publications
If you use GDAL in academic or technical work, the documentation provides a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) that you can use to quote GDAL in publications. Using the DOI is the recommended way to reference the project so that citations resolve consistently.
Practical next steps
- Read the License page for the authoritative terms before shipping GDAL in a product.
- Check How to contribute? if you want to report a problem or send a change.
- Check How to develop GDAL? if you plan to work on the source code.
- Visit Community to find the right place to ask questions or discuss a proposal.
- Use the provided DOI when citing GDAL in a paper or report.
One caveat: contribution workflows, review requirements, and community channels change over time. Treat the linked documentation pages as the current source of truth rather than any third-party summary.