The Apache Attic was created in November 2008 to provide process and solutions to make it clear when an Apache project has reached its end of life. Specifically:

the Apache Attic Project [...] is responsible for the oversight of projects which otherwise would not have oversight;
the Apache Attic Project [...] is not authorized to actively develop and release the projects under its oversight

It is intended to:

  • Be non-impacting to users
  • Provide restricted oversight for these codebases
  • Provide oversight for active user lists with no Project Management Committee (PMC)

It is not intended to:

  • Rebuild community
  • Make bugfixes
  • Make releases

Getting into the Attic

There are two expected mechanisms by which a project may enter the Attic. Either the managing Project Management Committee (PMC) decides it would like to move the project, or The Apache Software Foundation’s board dissolves the PMC and chooses to move the project.

First step is to add a suitable resolution to the next board agenda: see the Template Board Resolution.

Once the submitted resolution has been approved during a board meeting, the Attic project starts executing the move.

When should a project move to the Attic?

Projects whose PMC are unable to muster 3 votes for a release, who have no active committers or are unable to fulfill their reporting duties to the board are all good candidates for the Attic.

Process of moving into the Attic

This is defined in greater details in the separate process document.

Process of leaving the Attic again

Options are:

  • Forking the project outside the Apache Software Foundation - we’ll link to any forks which have been created so please let us know
  • Restarting the project at the Apache Software Foundation, with multiple ways to do so:
    • Restarting the community in the Apache Incubator
    • Recreating a PMC for the project
    • Transfering to an existing PMC

A receiving PMC must be willing to assume all responsibilities that come with running a project: maintain code, answer questions, fix bugs, publish releases etc.
If the Board does not object, PMC Attic will transfer the project’s assets (code-base, TLP website, maven group-id etc) to the receiving PMC.
After the transfer the receiving PMC will report to the Board about the project’s activities, and publish project releases in the PMC’s dist area.

Contacting the Attic Project

The Attic is a project as any other:

Retired Incubator Projects

The Apache Incubator project is the entry path into The Apache Software Foundation for projects and codebases wishing to become part of the Foundation’s efforts. Not all projects ‘graduate’ out of the Incubator; some are retired instead. Those retired projects remain under Incubator oversight: the list may be found on the Incubator’s Projects page.