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ADR-0003 — MIT, free, donation-supported (Thonny model)

  • Status: Accepted
  • Date: 2026-06-30

Context

PyBLE will be distributed publicly. Options ranged from commercial/closed, through open-core/freemium and "open source but sell the build," to fully free and open like Thonny.

The MicroPython tooling ecosystem (Thonny, Mu, mpremote, esptool) is overwhelmingly free and open-source. Trust matters because the tool flashes firmware onto users' boards and runs their code. Broad board support depends on community contributions.

Decision

License the entire project (app + firmware agent + protocol) under the MIT License. Distribute it free — no paywall, no account, no telemetry-by-default. Fund it via donations / GitHub Sponsors, not sales. This mirrors the Thonny model.

Rationale

  • Maximizes adoption and lowers friction in an ecosystem that expects open tools.
  • Builds trust for a tool that touches firmware and user code.
  • Invites the community contributions (new boards, translations, fixes) that the project's breadth depends on.
  • Permissive MIT (vs copyleft) further lowers the barrier to use and contribution.

Consequences

  • No direct revenue line; sustainability rests on sponsorship/donations.
  • The clean-room boundary (ADR-0002) becomes load-bearing and public — enforced by CI.
  • Copied-from-prior-art widgets are relicensed MIT by the author at copy time (header replaced).
  • Third-party dependencies must remain MIT/Apache/BSD-compatible; notices shipped in THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.