qmax-code is now
Apache 2.0

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Today we’re releasing qmax-code v1.38.0 under Apache License 2.0. The full QA terminal is open source: the agent loop, terminal interface, provider adapters, tools, and build scripts. Use it, change it, fork it, ship it, and build a business around it under the license terms.

QA belongs in the terminal, too

Coding agents have made it easier to change a repository. Checking those changes still takes work: understanding the project, running the right tests, reviewing the patch, and following a failure through to a verified repair.

That is the work qmax-code is built around. It is the QA terminal that can switch inference. Run it on a local repository, or connect it to QualityMax for hosted crawls, test generation, reviews, and execution.

For coding work, /orch can launch Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, or OpenCode while keeping qmax tools and the terminal experience. The built-in agent loop supports Anthropic, Cerebras, and Ollama. Pick the provider that fits the task and the credentials you already use.

Why we changed the license

A QA agent touches your files, commands, test runner, and model provider. You should be able to read how it works, adapt it to your infrastructure, and maintain your own version.

Apache 2.0 makes those choices easier. Teams can evaluate the CLI without planning around a future license conversion. Maintainers can build integrations and redistribute their changes. Companies can use it commercially under the same published terms.

We want qmax-code to become a useful Unix tool that people improve together. A permissive open-source license gives that work room to grow.

One binary. Your repository. Your provider.

qmax-code is written in Go and ships as a single compiled binary. There is no Node, npm, Python, or version manager required for qmax-code itself. The release includes macOS, Linux, and Windows builds for Intel and ARM.

Local mode needs no QualityMax account. It works with your repository’s files and commands. You still need an authenticated coding CLI or configured inference provider; use a local Ollama model when you want inference to stay on your machine. Separately launched CLIs and your project’s test tools keep their own setup requirements.

Connected mode adds QualityMax’s hosted QA workflows. The CLI is open source; the hosted QualityMax backend remains a separate service.

Get v1.38.0

Install the prebuilt binary:

curl -sL https://qualitymax.io/static/install-qmax-code.txt | bash

With an authenticated Codex CLI already installed, start a local session in your repository:

qmax-code --local --backend codex

Or sign in to use QualityMax’s connected workflows:

qmax-code login
qmax-code

Find the other providers, commands, and setup details in the README. Prefer to build it yourself? Clone the repository and run go build -o qmax-code . with Go 1.25.13 or newer.

What the release covers

Apache 2.0 applies to qmax-code v1.38.0 and future releases under the new license. Previously published artifacts retain the license they shipped with. Third-party dependencies retain their own licenses; the release archives include the project license, notice, and third-party license texts.

The release notes and README carry the same announcement. The CLI source is available at Quality-Max/qmax-code, with prebuilt downloads also mirrored in qmax-code-releases.

Help shape the QA terminal

Try it on a real repository. Tell us which QA workflow needs better support. File a reproducible bug, improve a provider adapter, contribute a tool, or fork it for your own infrastructure.

We named qmax-code after Max, the cat. Nine lives, zero regressions.