This document describes the general release policies used by the Apache HTTP Server Project to create releases of httpd-2.0 (the current Apache 2.0 branch). As described herein, this policy is not set in stone and may be adjusted by the Release Manager.

Technically, any one can make a release of the source code due to the Apache Software License. However, only members of the Apache HTTP Server Project (committers) can make a release designated with Apache. Other people must call their release something other than "Apache" unless they obtain written permission from the Apache Software Foundation.

Following our official release policies, we will only accept release binaries from members of the Apache HTTP Server Project for inclusion on our website. This ensures that our binaries can be supported by members of the project. Other people are free to make binaries, but we will not post them on our website.

The release is coordinated by the Release Manager (hereafter, abbreviated as RM). Since this job requires coordination of the development community (and access to CVS), only committers to the project can be RM. However, there is no set RM. Any committer may perform a release at any time. In order to facilitate communication, it is deemed nice to alert the community with your planned release schedule before executing the release. A release should only be made when there is a plan to publicly release it. (A release should not be made only for private distribution. A private release is more suitable for that.)

Someone with lots of time to kill. Being an RM is a very important job in our community because it takes a fair amount of time to produce a stable release. If you feel lucky, a release could be distributed without testing, but our experience has shown that this leads to a higher number of dud releases. In general, our experience has shown that a well-coordinated release fares better than non-coordinated releases.

It is our convention to indicate showstoppers in the STATUS file in the repository. A showstopper entry does not automatically imply that a release can not be made. As the RM has final authority on what makes it into a release, they can choose to ignore the entries. An item being denoted as a showstopper indicates that the group has come to a consensus that no further releases can be made until the entry is resolved. These items may be bugs, outstanding vetos that have not yet been resolved, or enhancements that must make it into the release. Note that the RM may also add showstopper entries to indicate what issues must be resolved before a release may be created.

Regarding what makes it into a release, the RM is the unquestioned authority. No one can contest what makes it into the release. The community will judge the release's quality after it has been issued, but the community can not force the RM to include a feature that they feel uncomfortable adding. Remember that this document is only a guideline to the community and future RMs - each RM may run a release in a different way. If you don't like what an RM is doing, start preparing for your own competing release.

It can not. Let's repeat that: an impending release can not affect development of the project. It is the RM's responsibility to identify what changes should make it into the release. The RM may have an intermediate tag, so the RM can merge in or reject changes as they are committed to the repository's HEAD.

Committers may voluntarily refrain from committing patches if they wish to ease the burden on the RM, but they are under no obligation to do so. This is one reason why we recommend that the RMs have plenty of time on their hands - they may have to deal with a rapidly changing target. It's not an easy job.

The RM may perform sanity checks on release candidates. One highly recommended suggestion is to run the httpd-test suite against the candidate. The release candidate should pass all of the relevant tests before making it official.

Another good idea is to coordinate running a candidate on apache.org for a period of time. This will require coordination with the current maintainers of apache.org's httpd instance. In the past, the group has liked to see approximately 48-72 hours of usage in production to certify that the release is functional in the real world. Note that some committers may choose to not vote on a release until feedback has been gathered from the apache.org instance running the release. This is not a requirement (each committer is free to come up with their own personal voting guidelines), but it produces a feeling of confidence in the release that it will not be a dud.

Once the tree has been suitably tested by the RM and any other interested parties, they should "roll" the release.

Key points:

• Ensure that the RM's PGP/GPG key is in the httpd-dist/KEYS file
• Create an official APACHE_X_Y_Z tag based on the candidate tree
• Run the httpd-dist/tools/release.sh script
• Copy the generated release tarballs and signatures to minotaur:/www/httpd.apache.org/dev/dist
• Email dev@httpd.apache.org, current-testers@httpd.apache.org and stable-testers@httpd.apache.org to inform them of the release.

At this point, the release is an alpha. The Apache HTTP Server Project has three classifications for its releases:

• Alpha
• Beta
• General Availability (GA)

Alpha indicates that the release is not meant for mainstream usage or may have serious problems that prohibits its use. When a release is initially created, it automatically becomes alpha quality.

Beta indicates that at least three committers have voted positively for beta status and there were more positive than negative votes for beta designation. This indicates that it is expected to compile and perform basic tasks. However, there may be problems with this release that prohibit its widespread adoption.

General Availability (GA) indicates that at least three committers have voted positively for GA status and that there were more positive than negative votes for GA designation. This release is recommended for production usage.

Non-committers may cast a vote for a release's quality. In fact, this is extremely encouraged as it provides much-needed feedback to the community about the release's quality. However, only binding votes casted by committers count towards the designation.

Note that no one may veto a release. Releases may not receive a designation level if a problem is found that inhibits proper functionality. The group may (implicitly or explicitly) revoke all votes on a release if there is a problem. However, if there is a -1 vote for a particular designation and there are greater than 3 positive votes and more positive than negative votes (i.e. majority consensus), the appropriate designation is conferred upon the release.

Once the release has reached the highest-available designation (as deemed by the RM), the release can be moved to the httpd distribution directory on apache.org. Approximately 24 to 48 hours after the files have been moved, a public announcement can be made. We wait this period so that the mirrors can receive the new release before the announcement. An email can then be sent to the announcements lists (announce@apache.org, announce@httpd.apache.org). Drafts of the announcement are usually posted on the development list before sending the announcement to let the community clarify any issues that we feel should be addressed in the announcement.

In short, no. The only files that are required for a public release are the source tarballs (.tar.Z, .tar.gz). Volunteers can provide the Win32 source distribution and binaries, and other esoteric binaries.

Note that the typical Win32 source distribution differs from the original tarball in that it has generated project files as well as the CRLF line endings required for that platform. More information can be found here.

At this point, the release has been created. No code changes can be made in this release. If a problem is found, it will have to be addressed in the next release or a patch can be made available. No changes can be made between alpha, beta, and GA status. The only difference is the file name that is downloaded by the users. If an alpha tarball is created, but there was an error that can be resolved by re-rolling the tarball, it may be permissible to re-roll the release. But, the code itself may not change from designation to designation.

There are two courses of action:

Revoke the release and immediately create another one that has a fix to this problem. You can take the old release, apply the single patch, and start the voting process again. This is only recommended for critical problems found early on in the release cycle.

If the problem is less severe, place the patch to the problem in the /dist/httpd/patches/apply_to_X.Y.Z directory. A link to this directory should be included in the release notes with descriptions as to what problem each patch addresses.

As always, if you have any suggestions or comments on our process, please feel free to email our developer mailing list with your comments. We hope you found this document useful.