How to Get Started with the Apache Incubator

Updated

The Apache Incubator is the entry path for projects that want to join the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). Incoming projects are called "podlings." To get started, follow the three steps the Incubator itself lists: read the cookbook to judge whether the ASF fits your project, review the Incubation Policy for the rules of participation, and submit a project proposal to join the Incubator. Each podling is assigned mentors who act as liaisons to ASF teams such as the Incubator PMC and the Infrastructure team.

What the Incubator does

The Incubator provides services to projects seeking to enter the ASF. It helps podlings adopt the Apache style of governance and operation and guides them toward becoming top-level ASF projects (TLPs). Its stated responsibilities are:

  • Welcoming new podlings into the ASF
  • Guiding podlings to govern and grow their communities according to the Apache Way, the ASF's philosophy and guidelines for collaborative development
  • Reporting monthly to the board on podling progress
  • Recommending to the ASF Board podlings that should graduate and become top-level projects
  • Retiring podlings when needed
  • Accepting IP donations

Step 1: Read the cookbook

The cookbook helps potential podlings decide whether the ASF is a good fit for them and walks through the steps required to become an ASF podling. Treat this as a go/no-go check before investing effort in a proposal: if the cookbook's criteria don't match how your project is organized and how its community works, the Incubator is likely not the right home.

Step 2: Review the Incubation Policy

The Incubation Policy outlines the rules for participation. Read it before drafting a proposal so that your plan for governance, community building, and releases matches what the Incubator expects.

Step 3: Submit a proposal

Submit a proposal for your project to join the Incubator. The site's resource list points to a "Guide To Proposal Creation" and related material under Proposals, alongside podling guides covering roles and responsibilities, initial code import, name search, IP clearance, websites, source control, and release management. Use these when assembling the proposal and planning the first months as a podling.

Resources to use along the way

Area What the site offers
Policies Incubation Policy, Intellectual Property Clearance
Proposals A Guide To Proposal Creation
Podling operations Cookbook, Roles and Responsibilities, Initial Code Import, Podling Name Search, Podling IP Clearance, Podling Websites, Podling Source Control, Release Management and Release Distribution
Growth and exit Guide to Successful Community Building, Guide to Successful Graduation, Guide to Retirement, Transferring Resources out of the Incubator
People and communication Committers, Podling Project Management Committee, Mentors' Guide, Incubator Mailing Lists Guide, Guide to Participation
Status Current Podlings, Clutch Report

The site also lists presentations with advice on applying to and graduating from the Incubator, including a keynote on The Apache Way, plus FAQs and a Training section.

What to expect after acceptance

Once a project becomes a podling, the Incubator delegates mentors to it. Mentors serve as liaisons between the podling and ASF teams, including the Incubator PMC and Infrastructure, to facilitate operations and ongoing growth. The Incubator reports monthly to the board on podling progress and recommends podlings for graduation to top-level status when they are ready; it can also retire podlings when needed.

Common sticking points

  • Skipping the fit check. The cookbook exists to help you decide whether the ASF is a good fit before you propose; use it first.
  • Proposing before reading the policy. The Incubation Policy defines the rules of participation, so align the proposal with it.
  • Overlooking the operational guides. Code import, name search, IP clearance, and release distribution each have their own guidance; plan for them rather than discovering them mid-incubation.