Apache Community Development! ¶

Mission: The Community Development project creates and provides tools, processes, and advice to help open-source projects improve their own community health. We are primarily focused on Apache Software Foundation (ASF) projects; however, because we believe that the Apache Way is the best way to manage a software project, we strive also to make these artifacts releasable to the open-source community as a whole.

Here, we focus on the common processes and policies (called The Apache Way) found in most ASF projects. Our goal is to help you understand how the ASF works and give you the confidence to participate in the specific Apache projects that interest you.

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Newcomers to the ASF ¶

If you are new to open source, our newcomers section explains basic concepts, first steps to get started, and where to ask for help.

To get our software, see our categorized listing of all Apache projects, which are always free to download and use.

The ASF is a large organization made up of many separate projects. Each project community may have its own ways of working, while still following the basic Apache Way process.

Events ¶

Producers should read our Event Branding Policy for ticketed events, and we have some tips for organizing small community events about Apache projects.

The event calendar lists approved Apache-related events, including Community Over Code (formerly ApacheCon) and project summits.

The Foundation ¶

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is a US 501(c)3 non-profit public charity. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, elected by our Membership, and we publish our monthly board meeting minutes.

Our mission is to create software for the public good that we give away for free. You can read how ASF and Apache projects are governed. We welcome your support of Apache.

Open Source Contributors ¶

If you know a little about open source, and want to understand how the ASF works, our contributors’ section is for you.

We also have a collection of links to relevant information.

Apache Committers should read our committers’ section and see the Developer Information site.

How Apache works ¶

Our Apache Project Maturity Model defines a structure for evaluating our projects (communities & technology) that can serve as an example for other communities.

Our how Apache works guide describes key ASF concepts, such as the difference between ASF Members and project committers, how decisions are made (voting), how elections take place, and the ASF’s structure and organization.

FAQ & Code of Conduct ¶

Please be nice! The ASF has a Code of Conduct that we expect participants to abide by.

If you still haven’t found what you are looking for, try our FAQ, send us an e-mail at dev@community.apache.org, or read the Community mail archives.

Diversity and Inclusion ¶

The Apache Diversity website has more information on that project, dedicated to understanding and promoting diversity and inclusion in ASF communities.

Google Summer of Code program (GSoC) ¶

The Community Development project also manages the ASF’s participation in the Google Summer of Code program. Each year since 2005, we’ve taken on between 30 and 45 students. Many have gone on to become long-term committers to projects, and even Members of the Foundation.

Read about a few of our GSoC successes.

Apache Local Community (ALC) ¶

The Apache Local Community comprises local groups of Apache (Open Source) enthusiasts, called an ‘ALC Chapter’. There will be a single ALC chapter per town/city.

The ALC Chapters spread awareness of the ASF in local communities, hosting local events to share information about the ASF, The Apache Way, and various Apache projects by bringing together project users and developers.

How to ask questions ¶

All Apache projects use publicly-archived mailing lists that anyone may subscribe to. There you can ask questions related to that specific project and gain a sense of its current activities and focus. Most projects have a dev@project.apache.org mailing list for technical discussions about the code, and a user@ or users@ mailing list for questions about the product or features.

We have a Code of Conduct and Etiquette guidelines to help you write good emails.

The ComDev project has our own mailing list where you can ask general questions about Apache at dev@community.apache.org.