The Ultimate Guide to Open Source Licenses: From MIT to AGPL and Their Impact on Cloning, Use, and Distribution

Understanding a project's license is crucial before choosing or using open-source software. This article provides a detailed breakdown of common open-source licenses, from the most permissive like MIT and Apache 2.0, to weak copyleft licenses like LGPL and MPL, and finally to strong copyleft licenses like GPL and AGPL. We'll clarify the core requirements and practical implications for your projects (both commercial and open-source) through the specific scenarios of 'cloning, using, and distributing,' helping you avoid legal risks and make informed decisions.