TAIL OS License Guide
TAIL OS is proprietary software. Every TAIL OS source file, including the source in the Raspberry Pi 3 board support package (BSP), begins with a notice like this one:
Copyright 2026, TAIL OS. All Rights Reserved.
You must obtain a written license from and pay applicable license fees to TAIL OS
before you may reproduce, modify, or distribute this software, or any work that
includes all or part of this software.
Free development licenses are available for evaluation, research, and non-commercial
purposes, which may include access to the source code under these terms. Redistribution
or commercial use without a license is strictly prohibited.
This page explains what that notice means for you.
What you may do
| You want to | What you need |
|---|---|
| Evaluate TAIL OS, do research with it, or use it for non-commercial work | A free development license. It may include access to the source code, under the terms above. |
| Use TAIL OS commercially | A written license from TAIL OS, and the applicable license fees |
| Reproduce, modify or distribute TAIL OS, or a work that includes any part of it | A written license from TAIL OS, and the applicable license fees |
Redistribution or commercial use without a license is prohibited.
Files under other licenses
A TAIL OS file may contain contributions from others. Read each file for other proprietary rights or license notices. Two components that come with the Raspberry Pi 3 BSP carry their own licenses:
- Bluetooth firmware. The BSP includes Broadcom's firmware for the Raspberry Pi 3B+
Bluetooth controller,
BCM4345C0.hcd, with Broadcom's license beside it inLICENCE.broadcom. That license allows redistribution in binary form only, and only for use with a Raspberry Pi device. - Raspberry Pi boot firmware.
make-disk.shdownloads the Raspberry Pi boot firmware from the officialraspberrypi/firmwarerepository. It is not part of the BSP, and it comes under that repository's licenses.