On Tue, 6 Oct 2026 at 10:46, Gerd Aschemann <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi all, > > Following up on Hervé's call to lead the Git work for maven-sources#57 < > https://github.com/apache/maven-sources/issues/57>: a handful of > Maven-4-specific plugins and shared components currently have their default > master branch on the Maven 4 line, with a <repo>-3.x branch for Maven 3. > That is the reverse of our agreed direction — the default should be Maven > 3, with Maven 4 as a separate branch until Maven 4 adoption has progressed. > Concretely, it avoids signalling that users moving to Maven 4.0 must also > switch to the new (Maven 4 API) plugins; Maven 4.0 is expected to run the > Maven 3 plugins. > > This originates from Hervé Boutemy (tracking issue + #maven Slack thread < > https://the-asf.slack.com/archives/C7Q9JB404/p1789896368528809>); the > full plan / runbook is on Confluence < > https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/x/85fwGg>. > > Scope (plugins / components only, NOT Maven core): > > core plugins: clean, compiler, deploy, install, resources > packaging: jar, source > shared: archiver, filtering > special case: plugin-tools — no swap; master stays Maven 3 (drop the -3.x > branch, rename the version to 3.17.0-SNAPSHOT). > The target branch name stays master (not main); a move to main, if ever, > should be a separate global decision, not a side effect of this. > > Method — rename, not force-push: > > rename master (Maven 4) → <repo>-4.x > rename <repo>-3.x (Maven 3) → master > Renaming the base branch makes GitHub retarget open PRs automatically, so > merge bases and PR history are preserved (~45 open PRs across these repos). > > Impact on forks: renaming the upstream branches does not touch forks. A > fork's master keeps the old (Maven 4) content and its default branch is > unchanged; each fork owner realigns their own branches afterwards (e.g. > rename their master → <repo>-4.x and track the new upstream master = Maven > 3). Open PRs from forks keep working — GitHub retargets their base on the > upstream rename. This is a one-time, per-fork manual step; it will be > documented, and those of us with forks (myself included) will handle our > own as a follow-up. > Did we estimate how many forks will be affected by it? > > Plan: > > Execution approach agreed with INFRA: INFRA performs the two > protected-branch renames per repo by hand; we handle .asf.yaml, default.xml > and README. Rehearsed on a throwaway fork first. > One low-risk first test (maven-filtering, 1 open PR), verify, then the > rest en bloc — in a single coordinated window, timed with the plugin > maintainers and outside any open staging/release vote. > Timing: from ~16 October (after Community over Code). > Communication: to avoid noise I'll keep updates in this thread rather than > per-repo mails — a heads-up when we start with maven-filtering, and one > when starting the batch and when it is done. > > Please raise any objection — here or on maven-sources#57 < > https://github.com/apache/maven-sources/issues/57> — before we start > (targeting the weekend of 19 October, after the CoC@Glasgow). Feel free > to comment on Slack or Confluence as well. > > Thanks, Gerd > > -- > Gerd Aschemann (er/he) --- Veröffentlichen heißt Verändern (Carmen Thomas) > +49/173/3264070 <+49%20173%203264070> -- [email protected] -- > https://aschemann.net > > -- Sławomir Jaranowski
