Sascha-Matthias Kulawik said: > we've developed a XML-based Content Management System based on > different technologies like Cocoon, XML, EJB and a WebStart Client > Application. It is in our interest, that we contribute this > project with about 200.000 Lines of Code to the Apache Foundation.
To continue on Steve's "pessimistic" intro to Apache incubations, perhaps you need some encouragements; 1. Put it up on SourceForge, or perhaps some other place such as CodeHaus. 2. Get the OSS structure in place, licenses, documentation, committers, evolution and so on... 3. "Market" the package. I'm sure that OSS mailing lists are "tolerant" to occassional OSS marketing. 4. Some indviduals typically shows an interest (if your stuff is good enough). Try to tie them into the project, perhaps by helping out with testing, documentation, installation procedures and more. 5. Some individuals wants extra features, if it is not available, try to encourage them to add these features themselves. Tell how it should/could be done, and be very helpful. If they manage, grant committer status more easily than Apache generally does. 6. Then come back to Apache. If you at such time have half a dozen external committers (who has contributed and understand the codebase to a reasonable degree), documentation, and overall an healthy project, it is more likely for it to be accepted. Also, your customer wants the project to go OSS, which IMHO is a GOOD THING (tm), but Apache is not equivalent with OSS. Cocoon founder, Stefano, has a remarkable attitude to OSS projects; "Bad Code, Great Ideas => Good Community". Indirectly it also means that "production quality code" has a harder time to gather good community, since the codebase is better than "BAD". Cheers. Niclas