The typesafe config library support comments and the sbt-header plugin
that we use to automate header checks and autocreation also has
built-in support for conf files.

On Tue, 21 Feb 2023 at 12:38, Claude Warren, Jr
<claude.war...@aiven.io.invalid> wrote:
>
> GPL is a much more restrictive license.  I think by inclusion in the
> package with the Apache license the configuration files are transitively
> under the Apache license, though a header would make that clear: either in
> or out.  I don't know of any issues with the Apache license and a quick
> survey of the projects I work on show that Jena and Commons Collections do
> include license statements, while Cassandra does not.
>
> Adding the license feels like a proactive defense in that it just prohibits
> someone else from claiming copyright and prohibiting our use of it at some
> later date.
>
> I would add the headers to the configs if the configs have a mechanism to
> add comments.  Obviously, any format that does not support comments can not
> have a license header.
>
> Claude
>
> Claude
>
> On Tue, Feb 21, 2023 at 11:14 AM Matthew Benedict de Detrich
> <matthew.dedetr...@aiven.io.invalid> wrote:
>
> > > If someone wants to change the config in their apps (that use our
> > libs), they modify their application.conf files.
> >
> > It's on this point that the Apache license is not ideal, even if you create
> > the configuration files from scratch (which not everyone does) "proving"
> > that you did it from scratch versus copying an existing reference.conf is
> > another thing which in specific circumstances can be problematic (that's
> > exactly what https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-configuration-file-license/
> > is describing).
> >
> > I understand that other projects have added the Apache license to their
> > conf files (note that this is not universal), my impression is that this
> > was done out of habit and hence them putting it there was a large oversight
> > that was done without proper thought as to what it means. I imagine it's
> > also a lot harder to remove the header once it's added.
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 21, 2023 at 11:42 AM PJ Fanning <fannin...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I'd prefer no license to a non Apache license - by a large margin.
> > >
> > > The reference.conf files are our files. They are static files that we
> > > can choose to modify in releases.
> > > If someone wants to change the config in their apps (that use our
> > > libs), they modify their application.conf files.
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tue, 21 Feb 2023 at 11:34, Matthew Benedict de Detrich
> > > <matthew.dedetr...@aiven.io.invalid> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Also to add, I don't necessarily have a problem with adding a license
> > to
> > > > the conf files but if we do so in my view Apache 2 is not the ideal
> > > license
> > > > for reasons stated earlier. If we want to go down this route then an
> > > > artistic license such as CC-BY (or any of its variants) would be more
> > > > appropriate.
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Feb 21, 2023 at 10:54 AM PJ Fanning <fannin...@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Most Apache projects appear to put Apache license headers on
> > virtually
> > > > > every file in their source repositories, including:
> > > > > * XML, YAML, etc. files that are used for runtime configuration
> > > > > * Build scripts
> > > > > * Shell scripts
> > > > > * markdown files
> > > > >
> > > > > I have seen no evidence that HOCON conf files need to be treated as
> > an
> > > > > exception, The Typesafe config lib seems to handle comments fine.
> > > > >
> > > > > If the general consensus is to leave the headers off, then that's ok.
> > > > > Until the Incubator PMC members have a look, we will not really know
> > > > > one way or the other. The Apache RAT check will list these conf files
> > > > > as not having headers and this could lead to -1s on our releases.
> > > > >
> > > > > On Tue, 21 Feb 2023 at 10:12, Matthew Benedict de Detrich
> > > > > <matthew.dedetr...@aiven.io.invalid> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > DISCLAIMER: IANAL
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Recently some PR's/discussion has opened up on github regarding
> > > whether
> > > > > we
> > > > > > should be putting Apache Headers on configuration files (i.e.
> > > > > > reference.conf files). As some people already know, we had to
> > > undergo a
> > > > > > process to add the headers to source files but in my view putting
> > the
> > > > > > Apache header on configuration files is at best completely
> > > unnecessary
> > > > > and
> > > > > > in some cases can be harmful. For those not that familiar with
> > > typesafe
> > > > > > reference.conf files, you can treat them the exact same way as Java
> > > > > > .properties files.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > My reasoning is that configuration files are treated completely
> > > > > > separately compared to source files, in this sense they are much
> > more
> > > > > akin
> > > > > > to documentation rather than source of a project. The
> > > > > > protections/stipulations provided by the Apache license definitely
> > > makes
> > > > > > sense for source contents, but they can be overly
> > > excessive/restrictive
> > > > > > when placed on a conf file and one example where this can cause
> > > problems
> > > > > is
> > > > > > cases like
> > > https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-configuration-file-license/
> > > > > .
> > > > > >
> > > > > > In summary the content in configuration files have the expectation
> > > to be
> > > > > > copied and worked on (i.e. copying the base configuration file and
> > > > > changing
> > > > > > the default values is typical for users) and there shouldn't be any
> > > > > > restrictions on this. Furthermore this content is not expressive
> > > enough
> > > > > to
> > > > > > be considered of value when it comes to things like copyright (I
> > > believe
> > > > > > this is one of the major reasons why there is no Lightbend
> > copyright
> > > > > header
> > > > > > for conf files). If the Lightbend header happened to already exist
> > > in the
> > > > > > configuration files there would be sense in biting the bullet but
> > > since
> > > > > > this is not the case to me I see it as preferable if we just leave
> > > the
> > > > > conf
> > > > > > files.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thoughts?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Matthew de Detrich
> > > > > >
> > > > > > *Aiven Deutschland GmbH*
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Immanuelkirchstraße 26, 10405 Berlin
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, HRB 209739 B
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Geschäftsführer: Oskari Saarenmaa & Hannu Valtonen
> > > > > >
> > > > > > *m:* +491603708037
> > > > > >
> > > > > > *w:* aiven.io *e:* matthew.dedetr...@aiven.io
> > > > >
> > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > >
> > > > Matthew de Detrich
> > > >
> > > > *Aiven Deutschland GmbH*
> > > >
> > > > Immanuelkirchstraße 26, 10405 Berlin
> > > >
> > > > Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, HRB 209739 B
> > > >
> > > > Geschäftsführer: Oskari Saarenmaa & Hannu Valtonen
> > > >
> > > > *m:* +491603708037
> > > >
> > > > *w:* aiven.io *e:* matthew.dedetr...@aiven.io
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@pekko.apache.org
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> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Matthew de Detrich
> >
> > *Aiven Deutschland GmbH*
> >
> > Immanuelkirchstraße 26, 10405 Berlin
> >
> > Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, HRB 209739 B
> >
> > Geschäftsführer: Oskari Saarenmaa & Hannu Valtonen
> >
> > *m:* +491603708037
> >
> > *w:* aiven.io *e:* matthew.dedetr...@aiven.io
> >

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