Netdata is now mostly closed source

[waffshappen]

One of the member projects (Netdata) has become essentially closed source and has been violating CNCF Charter 11 e (All projects evaluated for inclusion in the CNCF shall be completely licensed under an OSI-approved open source license.) for months. (NCULv1 licensed blobs are currently in their repo)

The agent (data collection) itself is and will remain open source after notifying the project, as a token effort, but to view the collected data in a project tested way netdata will require to use the project's closed source v2 dashboard going forward, and even that will be cut down to a locked down, login-gated closed source v3 edition (currently in the works).

To my understanding this means that the project is not on solid ground for continued inclusion in the CNCF as a project (not as a member), as even removing the blobs from the project repository would leave netdata as a data collection tool that, to be used properly in the future with tools approved and tested by the netdata team itself, requires the use of a closed source dashboard full of upgrade, login and soon machine count limits (max 5) that would lock you into the project's practices at a whim.

Please clarify whether netdata can continue to use CNCF's good name and reputation for open source under these conditions and the lock-in path they're on.

Please also clarify whether removing the blobs but providing a project that collects data with no way to view it would also meet the inclusion criteria. Since netdata as a project, if you look at their webpage or github, is collection + evaluation (which is the real value of the project to its users).

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[caniszczyk]

@waffshappen do you have some more info on the netadata license change anywhere? has there been a public blog post?

[waffshappen]

public blog post?

https://www.netdata.cloud/blog/netdata-version-1.41/
"This is distributed with Netdata under the Netdata Cloud UI License v1.0."

Note: the old open source dashboards mentioned will be made incompatible and deprecated by netdata in a coming release of their "v3" dashboard, but they already ship that v2 as of right now.

Their Readme:
https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/200e4cda040d6baa39018d063079b559f2670b40/README.md?plain=1#L51

And the respective Files in their repo:
https://github.com/netdata/netdata/tree/master/src/web/gui/v2

[gecube]

@waffshappen I don't see any issue with license change. Agent could be used for free and source code is open. We are using netdata as standalone instances and have a very great experience with it.

Please also clarify whether removing the blobs but providing a project that collects data with no way to view it would also meet the inclusion criteria

I don't see any clue that there won't be any visualisation on agent side. Please provide such a clue.

[waffshappen]

@waffshappen I don't see any issue with license change. Agent could be used for free and source code is open. We are using netdata as standalone instances and have a very great experience with it.

Thats great for you, but the fitness for use was not in question - but the violation of the rule of the CNCF that all code must be open source, which netdata as a project does not meet.

I don't see any clue that there won't be any visualisation on agent side. Please provide such a clue.

The very agent ui you're already using to view your data and alerts (v2, open source v0/v1 is getting removed right now (and made incompatible, so per-distro patches will be made useless!), and v2/v3 will get locked to max. 5 machines without account, full enshittification mode) is completely closed source. The entire data visualization part of netdata, even the one shipped with the agent itself, is closed source - for the proof of that you can check the NCUL i linked above that is for the v2 agent ui (also called "cloud ui", but shipped with the agent) code.
There is still visualization, you just wont be able to adapt, or change, or even view the source for that (since they already plan for lock-in).

@caniszczyk did you have a closer chance to look into this yet?

[gecube]

@waffshappen thanks, interesting. Anyway it is not fair to claim that "netdata is closed source" as it could be rebranded and lets' say - agent would be a separate product under open-source. Like, let's say, vector - just shipping the metrics. Maybe communication with netdata developers could shed a light and we need to hear their position before doing any serious action.

I don't support what netdata is doing as I think that all source should be open, but they have their own right to do it.