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 = Frequently Asked Questions
 Apache Incubator PMC
 2002-10-16
 :jbake-type: simplepage
 :jbake-status: published
 :idprefix:
 :toc:
 :imagesdir: /images/

 == Questions

 === 1. Incubation

 ==== 1.1. Does the X Project really have to go in the Incubator to get to Apache?
 Yes.
 Code that has existed outside the ASF can *only*
 enter the ASF through the Incubator. There is no other option.
 The Incubator, among other things, is where the due-diligence of
 making sure the licence is correct, the link:http://www.apache.org/licenses/#grants[copyright license]
 is received, and all of the initial developers submit their link:http://www.apache.org/licenses/#clas[CLAs].
 The Incubator is also the place where projects can familiarize
 themselves with how the ASF works under the guidance of Incubator
 PMC members (link:incubation/Roles_and_Responsibilities.html#Mentors[mentors]).

 ==== 1.2. I'm the mentor of this project, and I think that I'm able to do it by myself. The Incubator doesn't add anything, can it be skipped?

 No.
 Do it right, do it well, and add something in the process.
 Incubation is not about handing it over to some other group and
 seeing what happens. The Incubator is simply the name of the place
 that governs your actions when you process a new project into
 Apache.  It moves at the same rate you do, and achieves whatever
 you achieve -- the only difference is that we have a permanent
 record in *one* place that we can go back to if
 there are later IP problems, and there is a gate that must be
 passed through before the project is given the right to release
 software on behalf of the ASF.
 That gate will not be ignored or bypassed just because one
 group or another feels they have earned the right to bypass it;
 allowing that kind of exception destroys the potential to build a
 tradition of effective oversight, which is the reason we created
 the incubator.

 ==== 1.3. Project XXX makes no mention of the Incubator for accepting new projects, but the Incubator site says that all projects entering Apache must pass the Incubator. What do we need to do, to move to the Apache XXX project?

 The incubation process, WRT responsibilities, is roughly as
 follows:
 - Any Apache PMC (project management commitee), including the
 Incubator PMC itself, will approve the entrance of a project
 at Apache.  They are the link:incubation/Roles_and_Responsibilities.html#Sponsor[Sponsor].  (In rare cases, the Apache Board of Directors
 will approve the entrance of a project.)
 - The Incubator PMC is from that moment on responsible for the
 project.  The assigned link:incubation/Roles_and_Responsibilities.html#Mentors[Mentors] (an ASF member who has volunteered to help with
 the incubation process) will have the primary responsibility
 for overseeing the progress of the project.  Each quarter, the
 project will submit an update to the entire Incubator PMC as
 to the progress in Incubation.
 - This will remain so until the Incubator PMC approves the
 project to be "graduated".  After graduation, if another
 PMC sponsored the podling, it will then be transferred to
 the PMC that asked for incubation.  If the PMC was the
 Incubator itself or the Board, the project must then also be
 be approved by the Board to receive its own PMC.
 - At this point, Incubation is complete.

 So, since you would like to have a place under the XXX Project,
 ask that PMC to sponsor you.  After that vote, you will
 automatically be under the Incubator, and incubation will
 start.

 ==== 1.4. Someone has proposed that their code/project be donated to project X within the ASF for continued development. What do we need to do to accept the code?
 The Incubator will only accept code for incubation if a PMC
 has voted to accept it. So when a proposal for the donation of
 code occurs, the project in question should discuss the proposal
 (usually on their public mailing lists!), leading to a decision
 by that project's PMC on whether or not to sponsor the code (and
 potentially the project surrounding it).
 If the PMC agrees, then the incubator can be approached, and the
 code accepted for incubation. The grant needs to be recorded by
 following the procedure outlined at the link:/ip-clearance/[IP Clearance forms].

 ==== 1.5. The code came from outside the ASF, so it's ours to do as we like, right?

 Wrong.
 Here are some generally agreed points that you should take
 into consideration:
 - No codebase within the ASF is to be considered an exclusive
 location for a general technology within the ASF.
 - All initial codebases are just that: initial. Once the code is
 here, if people feel that the code sucks or the architecture
 sucks, or whatever else someone wants to complain about,
 all parties understand that the future direction of the
 architecture and code is, as is everything at the ASF,
 subject to communal will.
 - Other contributors interested in any ASF codebase, with or
 without existing codebases, are free to contribute, or to
 propose additional related projects.

 === 2. Participation

 ==== 2.1. How can I update the site?
 Refer to link:guides/website.html[our guide to updating the website].
 If you are not a committer on the Incubator project,
 then you can still send patches for the source documents.
 ==== 2.2. How do I update the incubation status of a project?

 See link:guides/mentor.html#Overview[notes]
 about maintaining your project entry in the podlings summary file
 and your project status page.


 ==== 2.3. Why don't we use an issue tracking system to track incubation process?

 Issue trackers do not meet the long-term archival and tracking
 requirements for our legal purposes and they do not authenticate
 that the person entering the status information has the authority
 to do so, which is what we get with our version control system.
 Note that how the actual day to day tracking of the project (i.e.
 bugs in code) is done is not the same as filing the legal forms -
 for those issues, our normal issue trackers can be used.
 Nevertheless, SVN is our only authoritative and formal tracking
 system for incubation status.

 ==== 2.4. How do I update the site of an incubating project?
 First of all, read our link:/policy/incubation.html[Incubation Policy].
 Refer to the link:guides/sites.html[Website Guide].

 ==== 2.5 How Do I Obtain Karma For The Infrastructure Site?

 All requests for karma (whether for a podling web site or for the infrastructure site itself)
 should be directed to the incubator general list.

 Please read the link:/guides/website.html[website guide] before editing the website.

 ==== 2.6 How Do I Set Up The Podling Website?

 To set up the website for a podling, start by requesting link:#site-karma[karma].

 ==== 2.7 How Do I Grant Karma To An Existing Apache Committer?

 This link:http://apache.org/dev/pmc.html#karma[document] describes how to grant karma for an
 existing Apache committer.

 ==== 2.8 What are the various facilities that assist with Incubator management, and how are they generated and maintained?

 See link:facilities.html[Facilities for Incubator management].

 === 3 Infrastructure

 ==== 3.1 How does our project request resources?

 Co-ordinate via your project's dev list and PPMC. Often someone
 there will know what is necessary.
 Some notes are provided in the
 link:guides/mentor.html#request-required-resources[Mentor guide] and in the link:http://www.apache.org/dev/infra-contact[Infrastructure instructions].
	= Frequently Asked Questions
	Apache Incubator PMC
	2002-10-16
	:jbake-type: simplepage
	:jbake-status: published
	:idprefix:
	:toc:
	:imagesdir: /images/

	== Questions

	=== 1. Incubation

	==== 1.1. Does the X Project really have to go in the Incubator to get to Apache?
	Yes.
	Code that has existed outside the ASF can only
	enter the ASF through the Incubator. There is no other option.
	The Incubator, among other things, is where the due-diligence of
	making sure the licence is correct, the link:http://www.apache.org/licenses/#grants[copyright license]
	is received, and all of the initial developers submit their link:http://www.apache.org/licenses/#clas[CLAs].
	The Incubator is also the place where projects can familiarize
	themselves with how the ASF works under the guidance of Incubator
	PMC members (link:incubation/Roles_and_Responsibilities.html#Mentors[mentors]).

	==== 1.2. I'm the mentor of this project, and I think that I'm able to do it by myself. The Incubator doesn't add anything, can it be skipped?

	No.
	Do it right, do it well, and add something in the process.
	Incubation is not about handing it over to some other group and
	seeing what happens. The Incubator is simply the name of the place
	that governs your actions when you process a new project into
	Apache. It moves at the same rate you do, and achieves whatever
	you achieve -- the only difference is that we have a permanent
	record in one place that we can go back to if
	there are later IP problems, and there is a gate that must be
	passed through before the project is given the right to release
	software on behalf of the ASF.
	That gate will not be ignored or bypassed just because one
	group or another feels they have earned the right to bypass it;
	allowing that kind of exception destroys the potential to build a
	tradition of effective oversight, which is the reason we created
	the incubator.

	==== 1.3. Project XXX makes no mention of the Incubator for accepting new projects, but the Incubator site says that all projects entering Apache must pass the Incubator. What do we need to do, to move to the Apache XXX project?

	The incubation process, WRT responsibilities, is roughly as
	follows:
	- Any Apache PMC (project management commitee), including the
	Incubator PMC itself, will approve the entrance of a project
	at Apache. They are the link:incubation/Roles_and_Responsibilities.html#Sponsor[Sponsor]. (In rare cases, the Apache Board of Directors
	will approve the entrance of a project.)
	- The Incubator PMC is from that moment on responsible for the
	project. The assigned link:incubation/Roles_and_Responsibilities.html#Mentors[Mentors] (an ASF member who has volunteered to help with
	the incubation process) will have the primary responsibility
	for overseeing the progress of the project. Each quarter, the
	project will submit an update to the entire Incubator PMC as
	to the progress in Incubation.
	- This will remain so until the Incubator PMC approves the
	project to be "graduated". After graduation, if another
	PMC sponsored the podling, it will then be transferred to
	the PMC that asked for incubation. If the PMC was the
	Incubator itself or the Board, the project must then also be
	be approved by the Board to receive its own PMC.
	- At this point, Incubation is complete.

	So, since you would like to have a place under the XXX Project,
	ask that PMC to sponsor you. After that vote, you will
	automatically be under the Incubator, and incubation will
	start.

	==== 1.4. Someone has proposed that their code/project be donated to project X within the ASF for continued development. What do we need to do to accept the code?
	The Incubator will only accept code for incubation if a PMC
	has voted to accept it. So when a proposal for the donation of
	code occurs, the project in question should discuss the proposal
	(usually on their public mailing lists!), leading to a decision
	by that project's PMC on whether or not to sponsor the code (and
	potentially the project surrounding it).
	If the PMC agrees, then the incubator can be approached, and the
	code accepted for incubation. The grant needs to be recorded by
	following the procedure outlined at the link:/ip-clearance/[IP Clearance forms].

	==== 1.5. The code came from outside the ASF, so it's ours to do as we like, right?

	Wrong.
	Here are some generally agreed points that you should take
	into consideration:
	- No codebase within the ASF is to be considered an exclusive
	location for a general technology within the ASF.
	- All initial codebases are just that: initial. Once the code is
	here, if people feel that the code sucks or the architecture
	sucks, or whatever else someone wants to complain about,
	all parties understand that the future direction of the
	architecture and code is, as is everything at the ASF,
	subject to communal will.
	- Other contributors interested in any ASF codebase, with or
	without existing codebases, are free to contribute, or to
	propose additional related projects.

	=== 2. Participation

	==== 2.1. How can I update the site?
	Refer to link:guides/website.html[our guide to updating the website].
	If you are not a committer on the Incubator project,
	then you can still send patches for the source documents.
	==== 2.2. How do I update the incubation status of a project?

	See link:guides/mentor.html#Overview[notes]
	about maintaining your project entry in the podlings summary file
	and your project status page.


	==== 2.3. Why don't we use an issue tracking system to track incubation process?

	Issue trackers do not meet the long-term archival and tracking
	requirements for our legal purposes and they do not authenticate
	that the person entering the status information has the authority
	to do so, which is what we get with our version control system.
	Note that how the actual day to day tracking of the project (i.e.
	bugs in code) is done is not the same as filing the legal forms -
	for those issues, our normal issue trackers can be used.
	Nevertheless, SVN is our only authoritative and formal tracking
	system for incubation status.

	==== 2.4. How do I update the site of an incubating project?
	First of all, read our link:/policy/incubation.html[Incubation Policy].
	Refer to the link:guides/sites.html[Website Guide].

	==== 2.5 How Do I Obtain Karma For The Infrastructure Site?

	All requests for karma (whether for a podling web site or for the infrastructure site itself)
	should be directed to the incubator general list.

	Please read the link:/guides/website.html[website guide] before editing the website.

	==== 2.6 How Do I Set Up The Podling Website?

	To set up the website for a podling, start by requesting link:#site-karma[karma].

	==== 2.7 How Do I Grant Karma To An Existing Apache Committer?

	This link:http://apache.org/dev/pmc.html#karma[document] describes how to grant karma for an
	existing Apache committer.

	==== 2.8 What are the various facilities that assist with Incubator management, and how are they generated and maintained?

	See link:facilities.html[Facilities for Incubator management].

	=== 3 Infrastructure

	==== 3.1 How does our project request resources?

	Co-ordinate via your project's dev list and PPMC. Often someone
	there will know what is necessary.
	Some notes are provided in the
	link:guides/mentor.html#request-required-resources[Mentor guide] and in the link:http://www.apache.org/dev/infra-contact[Infrastructure instructions].