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ADR-0016: Apache-2.0 for the platform, template, charts and build configuration

Status: Accepted (plan decision D16). Applied in LICENSE, NOTICE and each project's LICENSE/NOTICE.

Context

The brief prefers a permissive license. Contributors and adopters want a patent grant. Container images contain third-party software under many licenses that CommonLayer cannot and must not relicense.

Decision

  • The platform code, the project template, the Helm charts and each project's build configuration (Dockerfiles, scripts, tests, workflows) are licensed under Apache-2.0.
  • Software inside an image keeps its upstream license. Each project's NOTICE and README state three layers separately: the build configuration's license, the upstream application's license, and the licenses of bundled components (from the SBOM-derived inventory).

Consequences

  • Applying Apache-2.0 to a Dockerfile does not relicense what the image contains; see the licensing guide.
  • Upstream license texts are installed under /usr/share/licenses/ in each image, and scripts/generate-license-inventory.sh derives THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md from the SBOM, failing on components whose license is unknown or outside the project's allowlist.
  • The Bitnami migration catalog proposes an additional rule for candidates (OSI-approved upstream license required for redistribution); that rule still needs confirmation by the project's governance.