NOTICE files yet again

[David Jencks <da...@yahoo.com>]

I talked with Kevan and Dan Kulp a bit at apachecon about license and  
notice files and am still pretty confused.   However I don't think  
what we are doing now is sustainable.

First of all as I've said many times before I think that we should be  
using the remote-resources plugin to install the LICENSE and NOTICE  
files in all the module and config artifacts.  IIUC Dan has recently  
updated the template and the generated NOTICE files are a lot more  
readable.

Bear in mind I'm about to implement GERONIMO-3607, push-button server  
assembly inclluding arbitrary plugins (such as user apps):
Second, the overall NOTICE file is now hardcoded in the boilerplate  
plugin.  I don't think this is appropriate any longer, since it will  
appear in any server assembled to include that plugin whereas it will  
only really apply to the ones we happen to distribute.  I think a  
NOTICE file that says something like "this might possibly apply to  
the server you are looking at, but there's not really any way to tell  
without looking at all the configs installed in the repos" is not a  
good idea, but anything we distribute would have to say that IMO.

I can think of at least two possible solutions:
1. adapt the remote-resources-plugin so our server assembly (G-3607)  
uses it to generate a NOTICE file from everything included in the  
server.
2. include less-verbose xxx-NOTICE files in our plugins that need  
(such as e.g. for xmlbeans) and use the copy-file element to extract  
them into a common directory in the server when they  are installed  
(e.g. META-INF/NOTICES/)

Any thoughts?  Am I making up a  problem where none exists?

thanks
david jencks