open source
Apache-2.0, without fine print tricks
Orvlet is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. That means what it usually means: you may use, modify, redistribute and sell products built on it.
| Question | Answer under Apache-2.0 |
|---|---|
| Can I fork Orvlet? | Yes. Keep the license and notices, mark your changes. |
| Can I use it commercially? | Yes, including in paid and closed-source products. |
| Must I open-source my changes? | No. Apache-2.0 is permissive, not copyleft. |
| Can I call my fork “Orvlet”? | No — see trademark below. Use your own name. |
| Is there a warranty? | No. The license provides the software “as is”. |
This summary is not legal advice. Read the full license text and the notice file.
Trademark: what “official” means
The Apache License does not grant trademark rights. “Orvlet”, the Orvlet name and the orbit-mark logo identify the official project. Forks and redistributions are welcome, but they must not present themselves as official Orvlet, imply endorsement, or reuse the name and logo for their own branding. Naming your fork honestly — “based on Orvlet” with the required notices — is fine.
Official builds are distinguished three ways: the Orvlet name and mark, releases signed by the project, and published provenance (the source commit, checksums and signatures for each artifact). Until signed public releases exist, an official build is one you built from the owner's source with the documented commands.
Provenance
Orvlet began as a fork of ZCode by Z.AI (Copyright 2026 Z.AI Co., Ltd, Apache-2.0) and has been substantially modified, including removal of hosted-service integrations. It is an independent project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Z.AI.
The Orvlet Engine contains source code from Melloxi (Copyright 2026 Philip John
Basile), relicensed from AGPL-3.0 to Apache-2.0 by its author for use in Orvlet; each
such file keeps its copyright line. The engine links MLX, mlx-swift, llama.cpp and
related libraries under MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD-2-Clause and public-domain terms. All
third-party components keep their own notices, collected in
THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md in the source distribution.
How the source will be published
Development currently happens in a private canonical repository. Public source will be published as a clean export with fresh, sanitized history — not a mirror of private development. Internal notes, verification receipts, research material and private documents are not part of the open-source release and will not be published with it. This website is built the same way: its package is designed to move to a public website repository without dragging private material along.
Until that public repository exists, this site deliberately does not link a source repository or invite public issues and pull requests. When the export is published, this page will link it, along with contribution guidance. Security reports already have a private channel — see security & privacy.
Use it, fork it, ship products with it — under your own name.
Photograph — David Billings via Unsplash