Direct answer
The contracts, evidence and tools that turn an open-source repository into an owned and maintainable service.
Why it matters
Source code access does not by itself give a person a reproducible deployment or an accountable maintenance path.
Scope
A stable concept used by Service Cards, deployment contracts and the SmallGreen Spec.
Out of scope
It is not a guarantee of security, permanence or universal compatibility.
How it works
Connect the repository to contracts an Agent guide mechanical gates public evidence and a reversible deployment.
Example
A user can move from a Service Card to a verified contract deploy in their account and later remove every resource.
Machine-readable references
SmallGreen Spec · cards.json · llms.txt
Evidence and limitations
Ownership is limited to the deployed instance and data under the user's account and remains subject to upstream licenses.
Related concepts
What is Small Software? · What is a Deploy Agent? · What is a Service Card?
Version
Concept v1.0 · SmallGreen Spec v0.2.1