Apache HTTPD Project

1
Apache HTTPD Project

• A user-driven development
• Quality should override everything else
• Meritocracy
• The more work you have done, the more you are
  allowed to do
• You have to prove yourself in the group

2
Level of involvement

• Core group of committers (the PMC of Apache?)
• Business issues and limited-circulation things
• Committers
• People with write access to repository
• Developers
• Users

3
Developer ? Committer?

• Nominated by a current active member
• Unanimously approved by the voting members
• In most cases, this new member has been
  actively contributing to the group for over six
  months

4
Developers checklist

• Coding Style Guide
• http//httpd.apache.org/dev/styleguide.html
• Debugging Guide
• http//httpd.apache.org/dev/debugging.html
• Bug Database Policies
• http//httpd.apache.org/dev/bugdb-policies.html
• Apache Development Note
• http//httpd.apache.org/dev/devnotes.html

5
Guideline and Roadmap

• Guideline http//httpd.apache.org/dev/guidelines.h
  tml
• Extremely out-of-date version http//httpd.apache.
  org/dev/project-plan.html
• The current version http//cvs.apache.org/viewcvs.
  cgi/httpd-2.0/ROADMAP?rev1.7content-typetext/vn
  d.viewcvs-markup

6
Voting

• Many issues are resolved by voting
• Code change, feature proposal, etc
• Kind of vote
• 1 yes
• -1 no, or vetoes
• /- 0 no opinion
• Ideas must be review-then-commit (RTC)
• patches can be commit-then-review (CTR).

7
Approval Process

• Consensus for features?
• Must receive at least 3 binding 1 votes and no
  vetos
• Majority for other thing, such as style?
• Must receive at least 3 binding 1 votes and more
  1 votes than -1 votes
• Lazy for patches?
• No minimal requirement. No special discussion
  will be carried out until someone votes -1

8
Vetoes

• Vetoes must be accompanied by a convincing
  explanation
• Vetoes cannot be overwritten vetoer must be the
  one who withdraw the vote
• In progress by Apache HTTPD Group
• Under what conditions a veto can be rescinded or
  overridden?

9
How do they track problems?

• Apache Bug Report Database http//httpd.apache.org
  /bug_report.html
• People not only use this tool to track problems
  (using PRs), but also use this tool to post
  occasional suggestion/fix.
• State transition of PRs
• Open ? Analyzed ? Feedback ? Closed?
• Suspended?

10
Patches

• A way to communicate proposed changes
• (output of a unified "diff -u oldfile newfile"
  command)
• Official patch http//www.apache.org/dist/httpd/pa
  tches/
• Unofficial patch (Contributory)
  http//www.apache.org/dist/httpd/contrib/patches/

11
How do they track changes?

• Change log http//www.apache.org/dist/httpd/CHANGE
  S_2.0
• Categories
• PR resolved by committers (majority)
• Name listed on http//httpd.apache.org/contributor
  s/
• PR resolved by developers
• Enhancements/Features added by developers

12
Changes related to PRs

• Fix suexec behavior with user directories. PR
  7810. Colm ltcolmmacc_at_redbrick.dcu.iegt
• Fix PidFile to default to rel_runtimedir instead
  of rel_logfiledir. PR 7841. Andreas Hasenack
  ltandreas_at_netbank.com.brgt
• Properly substitute sbindir as httpd's location
  in apachectl. PR 7840. Andreas Hasenack
  ltandreas_at_netbank.com.brgt

13
Changes unrelated to PRs

• Fix perchild MPM so that it uses ap_gname2id for
  groups instead of ap_uname2id. Scott Lamb
  ltslamb_at_slamb.orggt
• Change mod_status to use scoreboard accessor
  functions so it can be used in any MPM without
  having to be recompiled. Ryan Morgan
  ltrmorgan_at_covalent.netgt
• add optional fixup hook to proxy Daniel Lopez
  ltdaniel_at_covalent.netgt

14
The STATUS file

• Keep track of the agenda and plans for work
• action items, proposed changes, tracking votes,
  brief note about developers task, release plans,
  etc
• Automatically posted to the mailing list each
  week.

15

• Apache HTTPD 2.0 series http//cvs.apache.org/view
  cvs.cgi/httpd-2.0/STATUS?rev1.621conten-typetex
  t/vnd.viewcvs-markup
• Apache HTTPD 1.3 series http//cvs.apache.org/view
  cvs.cgi/apache-1.3/STATUS?rev1.987content-typet
  ext/vnd.viewcvs-markup

16
The patch-vote-release process

• Patch coordinator
• Maintain and circulate the list of proposed
  patches
• Vote coordinator
• Announce a voting period, then tally the votes
  for each patch
• Release manager
• Apply the approved patches to the latest release

17
Testing/Stages?

• Alpha?
• Beta?
• GA?

18
Other projects

• FreeBSD http//www.freebsd.org/releng/
• NetBSD http//www.netbsd.org/developers/releng/rel
  ease-process.html
• OpenPKG http//www.openpkg.org/releng.html
• Mozilla
• http//www.mozilla.org/projects/nspr/eng-process/
  release.html