Hi everyone, I'd like to start a discussion on how we should manage issue tracking for non-mainline Apache Fineract projects. Background
The Apache Fineract PMC currently manages several repositories outside the main apache/fineract repository. These repositories explore new capabilities, prototypes, and complementary services that are unlikely to be merged into the main Fineract codebase due to differences in scope, technology stack, or intended users. Some examples include: - fineract-backoffice-ui Work-in-progress Backoffice UI for Apache Fineract (Angular 21+) - fineract-consumer-facing Consumer-facing reference application originally developed as a GSoC proof-of-concept (Spring Boot + Angular) - fineract-loan-origination Loan origination service originally developed as a GSoC proof-of-concept (Spring Boot) - fineract-business-intelligence Business Intelligence connector originally developed as a GSoC proof-of-concept (Python) Over time, I expect these repositories to become open for broader community contributions and eventually have their own release processes where appropriate. Problem These repositories are related to Apache Fineract but are not part of the main apache/fineract project. As they grow, contributors need a clear way to: - report bugs - request features - track development - understand whether an issue belongs to the core project or one of these related repositories Today, most issues are tracked in the FINERACT Jira project. While this works, I think it could become confusing as more repositories become active. The goal is not to change governance. These repositories would continue to be managed by the Apache Fineract PMC. The goal is simply to make it clearer for contributors where development is happening. Previous discussion I previously raised this topic on Matrix: https://matrix.to/#/!izTOsJxSUbKhKUROGM:matrix.org/$6VnqpdYhkZDBwy9Y7gxslPvX6dI-f9wiSV6sJm9xySY?via=matrix.org I also asked ASF Infrastructure whether creating another Jira project would be possible. Their response indicated that this is technically feasible. https://the-asf.slack.com/archives/CBX4TSBQ8/p1782838747421099 Possible approaches Option 1: Create a separate Jira project Create one (or more) Jira projects dedicated to these repositories. There is already precedent for multiple Fineract-related Jira projects. Besides FINERACT, there is also the historical FINCN project. https://issues.apache.org/jira/secure/BrowseProjects.jspa?selectedCategory=all&selectedProjectType=all&contains=fineract&sortColumn=name&sortOrder=ascending&s=view_projects Option 2: Use GitHub Issues Enable GitHub Issues for each repository using ASF's self-service .asf.yml configuration. https://infra.apache.org/request-bug-tracker.html Option 3: Continue using FINERACT Jira Continue using the existing FINERACT Jira project, but include the repository name in every issue title. For example: [backoffice-ui] Add dashboard widgets [consumer-facing] Registration flow [loan-origination] Support document uploads [business-intelligence] Add PostgreSQL connector Recommendation Personally, I prefer Option 2. Since these repositories are separate development efforts, repository-level GitHub Issues feel like the most natural solution. ASF already supports this through self-service configuration, and it avoids creating additional Jira projects while keeping issue tracking close to the code. If one of these projects eventually grows to the point where a dedicated Jira project makes sense, we could always revisit that decision later. I'd be interested in hearing what the PMC and the wider community think before moving forward. Regards, Aman
