Adding upstream version 1.12.0.upstream/1.12.0upstream

Signed-off-by: Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>

1 files changed, 48 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/libnetdata/config/README.md b/libnetdata/config/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0a27d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libnetdata/config/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# netdata ini config files
+
+Configuration files `netdata.conf` and `stream.conf` are netdata ini files.
+
+## Motivation
+
+The whole idea came up when we were evaluating the documentation involved
+in maintaining a complex configuration system. Our intention was to give
+configuration options for everything imaginable. But then, documenting all
+these options would require a tremendous amount of time, users would have
+to search through endless pages for the option they need, etc.
+
+We concluded then that **configuring software like that is a waste of time
+and effort**. Of course there must be plenty of configuration options, but
+the implementation itself should require a lot less effort for both the
+developers and the users.
+
+So, we did this:
+
+1. No configuration is required to run netdata
+2. There are plenty of options to tweak
+3. There is minimal documentation (or no at all)
+
+## Why this works?
+
+The configuration file is a `name = value` dictionary with `[sections]`.
+Write whatever you like there as long as it follows this simple format.
+
+Netdata loads this dictionary and then when the code needs a value from
+it, it just looks up the `name` in the dictionary at the proper `section`.
+In all places, in the code, there are both the `names` and their
+`default values`, so if something is not found in the configuration
+file, the default is used. The lookup is made using B-Trees and hashes
+(no string comparisons), so they are super fast. Also the `names` of the
+settings can be `my super duper setting that once set to yes, will turn the world upside down = no`
+- so goodbye to most of the documentation involved.
+
+Next, netdata can generate a valid configuration for the user to edit.
+No need to remember anything or copy and paste settings. Just get the
+configuration from the server (`/netdata.conf` on your netdata server),
+edit it and save it.
+
+Last, what about options you believe you have set, but you misspelled?
+When you get the configuration file from the server, there will be a
+comment above all `name = value` pairs the server does not use.
+So you know that whatever you wrote there, is not used.
+
+[![analytics](https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&aip=1&t=pageview&_s=1&ds=github&dr=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fnetdata%2Fnetdata&dl=https%3A%2F%2Fmy-netdata.io%2Fgithub%2Flibnetdata%2Fconfig%2FREADME&_u=MAC~&cid=5792dfd7-8dc4-476b-af31-da2fdb9f93d2&tid=UA-64295674-3)]()