Apache Software Foundation launches “Apache Extras”

December 14, 2010 By Laura Khalil

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) today announced apache-extras.org, the Google-hosted site for code associated with Apache projects that are not part of the Foundation's more than eighty Top-level Projects.

Apache-extras.org provides a home for projects that are unable to, or do not wish to, conform to the ASF’s requirements relating to intellectual property, license use and community management, but still want to have a relationship with Apache.

As projects on the new Google-hosted service will not be managed by The Apache Software Foundation, one of the key difference is that participants may use whatever license and project management process they like. Apache-extras.org will provide a level of visibility for these projects that is unavailable on other code-hosting forges.

Existing Google Code projects related to Apache products can be easily migrated to the new apache-extras.org site, while new Apache-related projects can start quickly by filling out a simple form. The ASF Community Development team will work directly with Apache Extras to ensure innovation around Apache projects is accelerated.

“The Apache Software Foundation has a long history of software innovation through collaboration; the larger the pool of potential contributors the more innovation we see,” said Ross Gardler, ASF Vice President of Community Development. “Apache Extras provides a home for Apache related software which is not formally a part of the ASF itself. Having these projects on a single hosting platform will help to further accelerate innovation involving Apache software.”

In a post on the Google Code Blog, Google Engineering Manager and ASF Member Ben Collins-Sussman says that, “By working under a common logo and domain name, we hope these projects can gain more visibility and grow into their own thriving community”. If they choose, existing Google Code projects can be easily migrated to the new Apache Extras portal.

Earlier this month Google Wave was officially made an Apache project, after Google officially gave up on Wave in August and open sourced the code.

For information on migrating or setting up new projects, visit http://www.apache-extras.org

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