The point is this -- during incubation, we're going to be working on establishing whether Apache NetBeans can exist or not, from many different points of view. And, even though we don't believe the process will fail, it would be a problem if Oracle has granted the code to Apache only to find that for some reason Apache NetBeans will not be able to leave the incubator. Let's say, for example, there's a licensing problem that cannot be fixed. If the software has already been granted, it would then need to be 'ungranted' at that stage. That's my concern and why I think the code should only be granted formally, i.e., via the formal SGA document, when we know for sure that incubation will succeed.
That means that we can work on setting up the Git repo immediately and, once we know what we want to move there, we move the source code there. Then we start the process of 'scrubbing the code', i.e., checking its licenses and noting any problems and seeking their solutions. Not sure how long this will take, but maybe not too long, a month or so, just a guesstimate. Once we have worked through the licensing, and we know for sure incubation will succeed, we can get the SGA, if we know for sure there will be no blockers. We did a preliminary investigation of this prior to putting the proposal together, but at this point we'll have done a thorough analysis. Then, once we have the SGA, those who have signed the ICLAs can begin working on committing code agreed upon by the project in terms of a commonly drawn up roadmap. So, it's not a question of waiting until next year sometime to start committing, just a question of waiting until we know for 100% sure that the process will not have to be unwound before actually having the code granted from Oracle. Does the above make sense? Gj On Tue, Oct 11, 2016 at 1:29 AM, Emilian Bold <[email protected]> wrote: > Migrating the repository over to git and the code grant should happen in > 2016. > > We have some momentum here but if I have to wait until Summer 2017 to > commit using my @apache ID I signed the iCLA 6 months too soon. > > Also, it's a premature optimization to change too much the code repository. > It seems like a juicy engineering task to split it up, filter it, whatever. > But it is pointless. > > What's essential first is for work to be possible and to start on the git > repo. We could have another goal during the incubation or even after > incubation to split the repository. > > I don't think the unwinding should be your main concern. Code changes will > have to be done regardless of who owns the IP. > > As an alternative to this Oracle concern, you could require contributors to > have both an iCLA and an OCA, although perhaps the Apache iCLA might be > sufficient. Apache Legal might intervene and explain things here... > > An incubating project must do a major release during incubation. I believe > that release will have be the Java 9 release. > > > > --emi > > On Tue, Oct 11, 2016 at 12:18 AM, Geertjan Wielenga < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi all, > > > > An overview of the sequence as far as I understand it. Consider it a > basic > > starting point for discussion. > > > > Let's start by assuming we want there to be a NetBeans 9 to be released > out > > of Apache, and as a top level project, i.e., outside the incubator, in > line > > with the release of Java 9. > > > > That puts us in the middle of next year somewhere. > > > > The most important aspect that needs to be worked through before then is > > the IP, license hygiene, etc. Before we get to the point where we're > > working on that, we need to actually have one or more Mercurial repos > that > > we know we want to move. Right now, the NetBeans 9 branch is being moved > > into trunk, once that's done we need to consider whether we should take > the > > NetBeans trunk as our starting point -- and determine other brances we'll > > need. > > > > We'll then need to work through the IP issues, i.e., work through the > > incompatible licenses and work out solutions for those. Some features > might > > be dropped, others can be installed via plugins, either separately or > > during installation. > > > > At the point where we've worked through those licensing issues and are > at a > > stage where we either have temporary exceptions for truly problematic > > areas, while knowing what the ultimate solutions for those will be, or we > > have solved everything, we'll be at the point where Oracle's SGA > (software > > grant agreement) can be worked on. > > > > In other words, based on the above, the SGA would be executed as one of > the > > LAST steps of the incubation period. After all, if we do uncover > > insurmountable issues during the incubation period, in particular in > > relation to licensing, having executed such a grant too early would lead > to > > a very difficult unwinding of the process. > > > > In parallel to the licensing process described above, since we're > confident > > that in one way or another things will work out favorably, we could > decide > > to move the tutorials and other content from netbeans.org to the website > > structure, whatever that will be, at Apache, including setting up a Wiki > > structure in our new Confluence environment. > > > > Comments to the above -- bring 'em on! > > > > Gj > > >
