Apache Attic

Apache Attic is a project of the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) established in November 2008. Its purpose is to provide a clear and structured process for retiring Apache projects that have reached their end of life. It ensures that these projects remain accessible in a read-only state while ceasing active development and oversight.

Features

• Project Retirement Management: Facilitates the formal retirement of Apache projects through a defined process.
• Archival of Codebases: Maintains read-only access to source code, documentation, and other resources of retired projects.
• Oversight Continuity: Provides minimal oversight for projects without active Project Management Committees (PMCs).
• Transparency: Publicly lists all retired projects and their retirement status.
• Community Communication: Offers templates and processes for informing users and stakeholders about project retirement.

Capabilities

• Project Transitioning: Supports the movement of projects into the Attic either by PMC decision or ASF Board resolution.
• Infrastructure Lockdown: Coordinates with ASF Infrastructure to make project resources read-only (e.g., Git/SVN, mailing lists, JIRA).
• Documentation and Metadata Updates: Updates DOAP files and project metadata to reflect retirement status.
• Social Media Management: Assists in updating or archiving social media profiles associated with retired projects.
• Reactivation Pathways: Allows for projects to be revived through incubation, PMC recreation, or transfer to another PMC.

Benefits

• Preservation of Legacy Projects: Ensures that valuable historical code and documentation remain accessible.
• Clarity for Users: Clearly communicates the status of projects, preventing confusion about maintenance and support.
• Resource Optimization: Frees up ASF resources by formally retiring inactive projects.
• Community Support: Provides a structured way for communities to disengage from inactive projects while maintaining access.
• Governance Compliance: Ensures ASF governance standards are upheld even for inactive projects.