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Frequently asked questions

Practical answers for buyers and creators using Codeal to license, publish, pull, modify, and update source-available company software.

Buying Source

What buyers get when they license software through Codeal.

What do I actually receive when I buy on Codeal?: You receive access to a source snapshot published by the creator, plus future versions while your purchase or active deal entitles you to that product. The CLI pulls the code to your machine so you can inspect, run, and adapt it locally.
Is this open source?: Not by default. Codeal is for source-available company software: buyers get the source under a license, but that does not mean they can redistribute it publicly or treat it like an open-source dependency.
Can I modify the code after I pull it?: Yes. The core idea is that buyers can mod licensed software for their own stack while still receiving creator updates. Codeal tracks the installed baseline so updates can be pulled and merged later.
Can the creator see my local code changes?: No. Status reporting sends counts only, such as modified, added, and deleted file totals. File names, paths, and file contents stay on your machine.
Where does Codeal put pulled source on my machine?: By default, the CLI installs product source under ~/.codeal/<company>/<slug>. It also writes local metadata under .codeal/ so it can compare your working copy against the version you pulled.

How buyers get access to public, private, and bundled software.

What is the difference between a purchase and a deal?: A purchase grants one buyer access to one product. A deal is a creator-initiated relationship that can grant access to selected software, or all published software from a company, often with a monthly price recorded on the deal.
How do private listings work?: Private-direct listings are hidden from the public marketplace. A creator creates an email-pinned invite link, shares it out of band, and only the signed-in buyer with the matching email can accept it.
Can creator accounts buy products?: No. Creator accounts publish and manage software. Buyer accounts license and pull software. Account type is chosen at signup and is not currently switchable from the settings UI.
Does Codeal process payments today?: Stripe checkout foundations exist for standalone paid purchases. Paid access is granted only after a signed Stripe webhook confirms payment. Deal subscriptions, invoices, and creator payout onboarding UI are still planned work.

How creators list software and ship source-backed versions.

Who can publish software?: Creator accounts publish software under a company workspace. Company owners can create listings and invite teammates; employees can work inside the creator workspace, with owner-only actions kept restricted.
What goes into a listing?: A listing has a company-owned slug, name, tagline, description, category, stack, visibility, pricing mode, and an optional start command. Drafts stay private until they are published.
How are source versions published?: Creators use codeal publish --source <dir-or-tgz> --version <v>. The CLI tars directories, excludes common local folders, uploads the archive, and registers an immutable version with a sha256 hash.
Can I overwrite a version number?: No. Published source versions are immutable by version string. Reusing the same version is rejected so buyers can trust that a version label and hash keep pointing to the same bytes.

Why local executors exist and what they handle.

Why does Codeal need a CLI?: The browser should not read or mutate a buyer's filesystem. The web app coordinates marketplace, deals, library state, and conflict choices; the CLI performs local work such as login, publish, pull, status, and resolve.
What does the desktop app do?: The Codeal app is the local shell for richer install management. Today it can invoke local checks through the CLI; production packaging and a fuller local management experience are still in progress.
What happens when I run codeal status?: The CLI walks the pulled tree, compares file hashes against the local manifest, prints a summary, and reports only counts back to Codeal unless you opt out with the no-report flag.
How are update conflicts handled?: When a creator update overlaps with local buyer changes, the CLI records conflict hunks. The web library can show the conflict, store choices such as ours or theirs, and the CLI can apply saved choices with codeal resolve.
Can Codeal automatically rewrite conflicted code for me?: Not yet. The data model and UI can store conflict choices, and the CLI can apply explicit choices. A polished coding-agent workflow that rewrites, verifies, and explains unresolved regions is still planned.

Current guarantees, privacy choices, and known product boundaries.

How does Codeal verify pulled source?: Each published source version stores a sha256 hash. Pulls download the version archive, verify the hash locally, then extract it. The local manifest records the pulled baseline for future status checks and merges.
What happens if my deal is cancelled?: Active deals grant pull access while active. Cancellation removes future entitlement through that deal, but it does not erase bytes already pulled to your machine. Legal usage is governed by the license terms agreed with the creator.
Are license templates finished?: No. Codeal's product model is designed around source-available licensing, closer to commercial source licenses than open source, but first-class source-license templates are still planned.
Is the CLI publicly packaged yet?: Not as a polished public distribution. The CLI is implemented and used in development, but broader packaging, signing, and distribution are still planned work.