# RFC: REUSE compliance plugin for PkgTemplates.jl — API, docs, and root LICENSE behavior

**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/rfc-reuse-compliance-plugin-for-pkgtemplates-jl-api-docs-and-root-license-behavior/136981
**Category:** Package Management
**Tags:** pkg, licenses, pkgtemplates
**Created:** [May 4, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/rfc-reuse-compliance-plugin-for-pkgtemplates-jl-api-docs-and-root-license-behavior/136981 "2026-05-04T14:56:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 2

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### Author: ![goerz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/goerz/32/3269_2.png) [@goerz](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerz)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/rfc-reuse-compliance-plugin-for-pkgtemplates-jl-api-docs-and-root-license-behavior/136981/2 "2026-05-04T15:04:55Z")

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> [@gwr](#):
>
> **For the root `LICENSE` question** , my current inclination is:
> 
> - REUSE layout only as the default;

As we talked about [in the other thread](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/package-licenses-contemplations-and-considerations/117922/128), that’s not workable, and shouldn’t even be an option: all Julia packages (at least all registered ones) _must_ have a main `LICENSE` file, independent of what is set up via `REUSE`. The template should ensure that the REUSE information for the `.jl` files in `src` and `test` match that main `LICENSE`.

In particular, you can probably probably have `MIT` as the main `LICENSE` together with `MIT OR Apache-2.0` in REUSE, but you cannot have a registered Julia package that is only licensed under `GPL-3.0-or-later WITH Classpath-exception-2.0`. That’s assuming that this modified license cannot be put in the main `LICENSE` file and be recognized as “OSI approved”.

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/rfc-reuse-compliance-plugin-for-pkgtemplates-jl-api-docs-and-root-license-behavior/136981)._