emqx4.3/changes/ce/feat-14269.en.md

Added etc/base.hocon config file.

In this release, we introduced a new configuration file, etc/base.hocon, to enhance configuration management and clarity.

Previously, since emqx.conf was the only place for manually crafted configurations, and because it sits at the top-most layer of the configuration override system, it caused some confusion. While mutable (not read-only) configurations set in emqx.conf could be changed through the UI, API, or CLI and take effect immediately, those changes would not persist after a node restart — leading to inconsistent behavior.

To address this, we’ve added etc/base.hocon as a foundational configuration layer. The updated configuration precedence order, from top to bottom, is as follows:

1. Environment variables
2. etc/emqx.conf
3. data/configs/cluster.hocon
4. etc/base.hocon

The etc/base.hocon file serves as the base layer for configurations. While settings defined here can still be modified after the node starts, this layer ensures consistent override behavior.