Welcome to the IPMC Community

  • Thank you for joining the IPMC

  • Your participation strengthens the Incubator

  • Even small contributions make a difference

First Steps

IPMC Responsibilities

  • Review/vote on releases and graduations

  • Monitor podling health and governance

  • Help resolve mentor-escalated issues

  • Uphold ASF policies

Key Activities

  • Join list discussions

  • Vote on releases and graduations

  • Share observations and raise flags

  • Celebrate podling successes

Voting in the IPMC

  • Binding votes on releases and graduations

  • Lazy consensus is common

  • Broad participation is essential

How Oversight Actually Happens

  • Mentoring and day-to-day guidance by mentors

  • Public discussion on ASF lists (general@, dev@)

  • Review of reports, releases, branding/licensing

  • Escalation only when needed (PPMC → IPMC → Board)

Reviewing Releases

  • Check for:

    • LICENSE and NOTICE files

    • Dependency license compliance

    • Correct process (vote on dev@, 72h minimum)

    • Branding and naming compliance

    • No compiled code in source

Graduation Criteria

  • Podlings must show:

    • A sustainable, diverse community

    • ASF infrastructure and process use

    • Transparent, merit-based governance

    • At least one ASF release without mentor intervention

    • Licensing and branding compliance

Reviewing Graduation Proposals

  • Look for:

    • Community diversity and independence

    • Recent ASF-compliant releases

    • Mailing list engagement and transparency

    • Signs of self-governance

    • Questions or concerns — raise them!

Monitoring Podling Health

  • Watch for:

    • Stalled communication

    • No release progress

    • Single-vendor dominance

    • Weak mentorship

    • Community stagnation

Communication & Conduct

  • Use ASF mailing lists for decisions

  • Avoid private channels

  • Model respectful, inclusive behavior

  • Escalate problems if needed

Common Pitfalls

  • Overly passive mentors

  • Podlings “parking” in the Incubator

  • Releases with licensing issues

  • Vendor dominance limiting community growth

  • Off-list or private decision-making

Conflict of Interest

  • Step back when conflicts arise

  • Be transparent

  • Ask on private@ if unsure

Time Commitment

  • Expect a few hours per month

  • Focus on release/graduation votes

  • Participate in discussions

  • More involvement always welcome

Stepping Down

  • Membership is voluntary

  • Notify private@ if you want to step back

  • Better to go inactive formally than silently

  • You can rejoin later

Resources & Support

Ongoing Training

  • Training resources are available for IPMC members

  • Mentoring and release review guides

  • Scenario-based exercises and quizzes

  • Training evolves as policies and practices change

Improving the Incubator

  • Policies evolve

  • Docs can always improve

  • Share suggestions on general@ (or private@ if sensitive)