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| <div class="container"> <h1 id="frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions<a class="headerlink" href="#frequently-asked-questions" title="Permalink">¶</a></h1> |
| <h2 id="contents">Contents<a class="headerlink" href="#contents" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <div id="toc"><ul><li><a class="toc-href" href="#what" title="What is the Apache Software Foundation?">What is the Apache Software Foundation?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#why" title="Why was the Apache Software Foundation created?">Why was the Apache Software Foundation created?</a></li><li><a apache'="" chosen?'="" class="toc-href" href="#name" title="Why was the name ">Why was the name 'Apache' chosen?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#is-ASF-a-corporation" title="Is the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) a Corporation?">Is the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) a Corporation?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#foundation-burdens" title="Does being a Foundation bring additional burdens on how Apache operates?">Does being a Foundation bring additional burdens on how Apache operates?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#why-are-PMC-chairs-officers" title="Why are PMC Chairs officers of the corporation?">Why are PMC Chairs officers of the corporation?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#legal_liability" title="What about legal liability for committers, PMC members, ASF members, officers and directors?">What about legal liability for committers, PMC members, ASF members, officers and directors?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#who" title="Who are the members of the ASF?">Who are the members of the ASF?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#who-owns-apache-code" title="Who owns the Apache code?">Who owns the Apache code?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#joining" title="How do I join the ASF?">How do I join the ASF?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#corporate-membership" title="Is it true that some companies are part of Apache?">Is it true that some companies are part of Apache?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#projects" title="What are the ASF projects?">What are the ASF projects?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#how" title="How does the ASF help its projects?">How does the ASF help its projects?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#how-to-contribute" title="How can I contribute to the ASF and its projects?">How can I contribute to the ASF and its projects?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#how-to-donate" title="How can I donate money to the ASF?">How can I donate money to the ASF?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#tax-status" title="Are donations to the ASF tax-deductible?">Are donations to the ASF tax-deductible?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#incubator" title="I am considering starting an open-source software project. Can you help?">I am considering starting an open-source software project. Can you help?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#synergy" title="We are an active open-source software project with a synergistic relationship with Apache. Can you help?">We are an active open-source software project with a synergistic relationship with Apache. Can you help?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#what-is-apache-about" title="What is Apache about?">What is Apache about?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#what-is-apache-NOT-about" title="What is Apache not about?">What is Apache not about?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#find-releases" title="Where can I find ASF releases?">Where can I find ASF releases?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#contact" title="How do I contact projects and people?">How do I contact projects and people?</a></li><li><a class="toc-href" href="#license" title="I have a licensing question. Where do I ask it?">I have a licensing question. Where do I ask it?</a></li></ul></div> |
| <h2 id="what">What is the Apache Software Foundation?<a class="headerlink" href="#what" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, |
| incorporated in Delaware, USA, in June of 1999. The ASF is a natural |
| outgrowth of The Apache Group, which |
| formed in 1995 to develop the Apache HTTP Server.</p> |
| <p>A <a href="board/">board of directors</a>, elected by the <a href="members.html">ASF |
| membership</a> on an annual basis according to the corporation's |
| <a href="bylaws.html">bylaws</a>, oversees <a href="how-it-works.html#structure">management of the Foundation</a>. The board appoints a set of officers to manage the |
| day-to-day operations of the Foundation and to oversee the ASF projects. A Project Management Committee (PMC), a self-selected team of active contributors, manages each project following The Apache Way and whatever additional guidelines for |
| collaborative development are best suited to that project.</p> |
| <h2 id="why">Why was the Apache Software Foundation created?<a class="headerlink" href="#why" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>The Foundation was formed primarily to</p> |
| <ol> |
| <li> |
| <p>provide a foundation for open, collaborative software development |
| projects by supplying hardware, communication, and business infrastructure</p> |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| <p>create an independent legal entity to which companies and individuals |
| can donate resources and be assured that those resources will be used for |
| the public benefit</p> |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| <p>provide a means for individual volunteers to be sheltered from legal |
| suits directed at the Foundation's projects</p> |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| <p>protect the 'Apache' brand, as applied to its software products, from |
| being abused by other organizations</p> |
| </li> |
| </ol> |
| <h2 id="name">Why was the name 'Apache' chosen?<a class="headerlink" href="#name" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>The name 'Apache' was chosen from respect for the various Native American |
| nations collectively referred to as |
| <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache" target="_blank">Apache</a>, well-known for their |
| superior skills in warfare strategy and their inexhaustible endurance. It |
| also makes a cute pun on "a patchy web server" -- a server made from a |
| series of patches -- but this was not its origin. The group of developers |
| who released this new software soon started to call themselves the "Apache |
| Group".</p> |
| <h2 id="is-ASF-a-corporation">Is the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) a Corporation?<a class="headerlink" href="#is-ASF-a-corporation" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Yes, the ASF is a membership-based corporation registered in Delaware, |
| United States. It is a registered non-profit charity, and has received 501(c)(3) status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. |
| However, even if something happens that changes that status, the ASF is |
| still a not-for-profit enterprise.</p> |
| <h2 id="foundation-burdens">Does being a Foundation bring additional burdens on how Apache operates?<a class="headerlink" href="#foundation-burdens" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Along with being a corporation come some mandated processes and structures.</p> |
| <p>The people who have the responsibility of watching over the Foundation's |
| activities, and keeping them on track and out of trouble, are the ASF's |
| Board of Directors. The board consists of nine individuals elected by the |
| Foundation's membership and invested by the membership with the authority |
| to run the Foundation and make tactical and strategic decisions concerning |
| it. This is necessary and essential work which makes the work of creating, releasing and supporting software products possible.</p> |
| <h2 id="why-are-PMC-chairs-officers">Why are PMC Chairs officers of the corporation?<a class="headerlink" href="#why-are-PMC-chairs-officers" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>An officer of the corporation, by definition, acts on behalf of the |
| corporation. The PMC chair provides for their project the oversight that the ASF requires.</p> |
| <p>Since the officer is acting on behalf of the corporation, there is no |
| personal liability -- standard corporate assumption of liability occurs. If |
| the officer was <em>not</em> acting in accordance with their stated role, then |
| yes: they would be personally liable.</p> |
| <p>Since the ASF assumes liability, it responds on behalf of individual projects when there are complaints or even legal action.</p> |
| <p>Officers and members are further indemnified in accordance |
| with our bylaws (meaning we also take care of their legal expenses if they are sued |
| due to their role's actions).</p> |
| <p>In essence, PMC chairs must be officers because the board can only delegate |
| things to employees or officers. It is impossible to delegate authority to |
| someone who has no authority.</p> |
| <h2 id="legal_liability">What about legal liability for committers, PMC members, ASF members, officers and directors?<a class="headerlink" href="#legal_liability" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>The last three are covered by section 12.1 of the Bylaws (but that section does not explicitly discuss project committers |
| and PMC members).</p> |
| <h2 id="who">Who are the members of the ASF?<a class="headerlink" href="#who" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>The current list of ASF members is at |
| <samp><<a href="members.html">http://www.apache.org/foundation/members.html</a>> |
| </samp>.</p> |
| <h2 id="who-owns-apache-code">Who owns the Apache code?<a class="headerlink" href="#who-owns-apache-code" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>All software developed within the Foundation belongs to the ASF, and |
| therefore the members. The members own the code and the direction of it and |
| the Foundation. Committers work on their project's code; good |
| committers become ASF members and thus share the ownership of the |
| software and the foundation's decision-making.</p> |
| <p>Commit access is a privilege, not a right, and is based on trust.</p> |
| <h2 id="joining">How do I join the ASF?<a class="headerlink" href="#joining" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>The Apache Software Foundation is a meritocracy, which means that, |
| to become a member, you must first be actively contributing to one or more |
| of the Foundation's collaborative projects. New candidates for membership |
| are nominated by an existing member and then put to vote; a majority of the |
| existing membership must approve a candidate in order to the candidate to |
| be accepted.</p> |
| <h2 id="corporate-membership">Is it true that some companies are part of Apache?<a class="headerlink" href="#corporate-membership" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>No.</p> |
| <p>The membership of the ASF is composed of individuals, not companies. The |
| members have a legal stake in the ASF.</p> |
| <p>This does not mean that individuals that work at a company cannot |
| contribute to Apache, quite the contrary. We have a specific extra CLA to |
| assure that individuals can clearly contribute to the ASF during "work |
| time".</p> |
| <p>It is also expected that the members are acting solely on behalf of the ASF |
| when wearing their ASF hats, regardless of their employer. See further |
| discussion about <a href="how-it-works.html#hats">individuals and hats</a>.</p> |
| <h2 id="projects">What are the ASF projects?<a class="headerlink" href="#projects" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>The current list of projects operating under the auspices of the Apache |
| Software Foundation can be found at |
| <samp><<a href="projects.html">http://www.apache.org/foundation/projects.html</a>> |
| </samp>.</p> |
| <h2 id="how">How does the ASF help its projects?<a class="headerlink" href="#how" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>As a corporate entity, the Apache Software Foundation is able to be a party |
| to contracts, such as for technical services or guarantee-bonds for |
| conferences. It can also accept donations on behalf of its projects, |
| clarifying any associated tax issues, and create additional self-funded |
| services via community-building activities, such as Apache-related T-shirts |
| and user conferences.</p> |
| <p>In addition, the Foundation provides a framework for limiting the legal |
| exposure of individual volunteers while they work on behalf of one of |
| ASF projects. In the past, these volunteers were personally vulnerable |
| to lawsuits, whether legitimate or frivolous, which impaired many |
| activities that might have significantly improved contributions to the |
| projects and benefited our users.</p> |
| <h2 id="how-to-contribute">How can I contribute to the ASF and its projects?<a class="headerlink" href="#how-to-contribute" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>There are many ways you can make a valuable <a href="contributing.html">contribution to the |
| Foundation</a>.</p> |
| <h2 id="how-to-donate">How can I donate money to the ASF?<a class="headerlink" href="#how-to-donate" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Instructions for donating money are on our <a href="contributing.html#how-to-donate">contributing |
| page</a>.</p> |
| <h2 id="tax-status">Are donations to the ASF tax-deductible?<a class="headerlink" href="#tax-status" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>The tax status of the ASF is discussed on our <a href="contributing.html#tax-status">contributing |
| page</a>.</p> |
| <h2 id="incubator">I am considering starting an open-source software project. Can you help?<a class="headerlink" href="#incubator" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Send proposals to the <a href="http://incubator.apache.org/">Apache Incubator</a>.</p> |
| <h2 id="synergy">We are an active open-source software project with a synergistic relationship with Apache. Can you help?<a class="headerlink" href="#synergy" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Send proposals to the <a href="http://incubator.apache.org/">Apache Incubator</a></p> |
| <h2 id="what-is-apache-about">What is Apache about?<a class="headerlink" href="#what-is-apache-about" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Transparency, consensus, non-affiliation, respect for fellow developers, |
| and meritocracy, in no specific order.</p> |
| <h2 id="what-is-apache-NOT-about">What is Apache not about?<a class="headerlink" href="#what-is-apache-NOT-about" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Treating others with disrespect, making code decisions outside of the project processes, demanding that |
| someone else fix the bugs you created.</p> |
| <h2 id="find-releases">Where can I find ASF releases?<a class="headerlink" href="#find-releases" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Current Apache releases are available for download on the releases page of each project's website. Until the third quarter of 2021 Apache used a system of <a href="https://apache.org/history/mirror-history.html" target="_blank">download mirrors</a> to make the releases conveniently available around the world. Since then, all releases are distributed through a global content distribution network (CDN).</p> |
| <p>All releases are automatically copied to the <a href="http://archive.apache.org/">archives</a> and remain present on <code>archive.apache.org</code> even after they have been removed from projects' releases pages. So, if you are looking for an old Apache release that is no longer a project's releases page, or need to refer to a permanent location (such as for legal notices), use a link to the archives. But if you want the latest stable releases, visit the website of the (<a href="http://projects.apache.org/indexes/quick">Apache project</a>) you are interested in.</p> |
| <h2 id="contact">How do I contact projects and people?<a class="headerlink" href="#contact" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>Go to the website for the specific <a href="projects.html">project</a> that interests |
| you. Also see the <a href="preFAQ.html">Contact Apache FAQ</a> and, if all that fails, |
| go to the <a href="contact.html">contact</a> page.</p> |
| <h2 id="license">I have a licensing question. Where do I ask it?<a class="headerlink" href="#license" title="Permalink">¶</a></h2> |
| <p>See the page on <a href="../licenses/">Licensing</a>, the <a href="license-faq.html">Licensing |
| FAQ</a>, and the information on the <a href="../legal/">Legal |
| Affairs</a> page. We address specific questions about trademarks of The Apache |
| Software Foundation on the <a href="/foundation/marks/">Trademark Policy page</a>.</p> |
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