Hi all, Quick update on the Apache Polaris 1.6.0 branch cut.
The release workflow/documentation updates that were called out earlier have now landed on main: - #4626: release-4 updates previous versioned-docs binary dist URLs to archive - #4650: release workflow 4 drops dist release SVN writes and documents the manual PMC dev -> release move I have not seen any additional 1.6.0 blockers or must-have PRs called out on this thread. The current main HEAD is green, and I plan to use it as the 1.6.0 cutoff: *Add external Polaris server test manager (#4843)* Unless there are last-minute objections, I will proceed with creating the 1.6.0 release branch from this commit and start preparing the first release candidate. Thanks, -ej On Thu, Jun 11, 2026 at 5:09 PM EJ Wang <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi all, > > Quick update on the 1.6.0 branch cut: > > - Adnan's requested release workflow fix, #4626, has now landed on > main. Thanks Adnan and reviewers. > - The current main HEAD is: InMemoryBufferEventListener: fix cache > removal logic and flaky test (#4677 > <https://github.com/apache/polaris/pull/4677>) > - I checked the current HEAD and the required checks are green. I have > not seen any other PRs called out on this thread as must-have blockers for > 1.6.0. > > The one remaining release-process PR I am watching is #4650, which > documents/moves the dist dev -> dist release SVN steps to a manual PMC > action after the vote. It is mergeable and green, but still pending > review/merge. If #4650 lands shortly, I plan to use the main commit > immediately after #4650 as the final 1.6.0 cutoff. Otherwise, I plan to > proceed from the current green main HEAD above and keep coordinating the > manual post-vote steps with PMC help. > > Please call out any objections or must-have PRs soon; otherwise I will > proceed with preparing the 1.6.0 release branch/RC from that cutoff. > > Thanks, > -ej > > On Tue, Jun 9, 2026 at 12:44 PM Jean-Baptiste Onofré <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Hi all, >> >> Thanks to both of you for the review and updates. I will perform a pass on >> the PR now so we can move forward with the 1.6.0 release as planned. >> >> Regards, >> JB >> >> >> On Tue, Jun 9, 2026 at 6:33 PM EJ Wang <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> > Thanks Adnan! this makes sense to get in before the branch cut. The >> > workflow placement looks good to me, and updating the superseded >> versioned >> > docs during release publication should prevent old binary distribution >> > links from breaking after cleanup. >> > >> > I left one small question about preserving the incubator archive path >> for >> > older incubating release docs. Otherwise LGTM. >> > >> > -ej >> > >> > On Mon, Jun 8, 2026 at 4:00 PM Adnan Hemani via dev < >> > [email protected]> >> > wrote: >> > >> > > I would say, we should wait for this PR to land before we branch cut. >> > This >> > > will help us solve an issue we've had for a while that no one >> reported: >> > > https://github.com/apache/polaris/pull/4626/changes. If we don't take >> > this >> > > PR into 1.6.0, then fixing this issue will likely have to wait until >> > 1.7.0 >> > > - which keeps all historical release links broken in the meantime. >> > > >> > > Best, >> > > Adnan Hemani >> > > >> > > On Mon, Jun 8, 2026 at 3:16 PM EJ Wang < >> [email protected]> >> > > wrote: >> > > >> > > > Thanks, JB! Reviewed and approved. >> > > > >> > > > All, >> > > > I have not seen any specific must-have PRs or release blockers >> called >> > out >> > > > for 1.6.0. >> > > > >> > > > Unless there are objections, I plan to use the current main branch >> > after >> > > > the release workflow/documentation update in #4650 lands as the >> cutoff >> > > > point for 1.6.0. Concretely, I will cut the release branch from the >> > main >> > > > commit immediately after #4650 is merged. >> > > > >> > > > If anyone has a must-have PR that should be included in 1.6.0, >> please >> > > call >> > > > it out on this thread by <date/time>. Otherwise, I will proceed with >> > that >> > > > cutoff and start preparing the first RC. >> > > > >> > > > Thanks, >> > > > -ej >> > > > >> > > > On Mon, Jun 8, 2026 at 9:21 AM Jean-Baptiste Onofré < >> [email protected]> >> > > > wrote: >> > > > >> > > > > Hi >> > > > > >> > > > > Following this discussion, I updated the release process and >> > > > documentation: >> > > > > https://github.com/apache/polaris/pull/4650 >> > > > > >> > > > > Regards >> > > > > JB >> > > > > >> > > > > On Mon, Jun 1, 2026 at 11:02 PM EJ Wang < >> > > [email protected]> >> > > > > wrote: >> > > > > >> > > > > > Thanks Dmitri, Yufei, and JB. >> > > > > > >> > > > > > I will keep moving forward with the June 26 target then. >> > > > > > >> > > > > > Thanks JB and Yufei for offering to help with the PMC-only >> > post-vote >> > > > > steps. >> > > > > > I will coordinate with you when we get closer to the >> > RC/vote/publish >> > > > > > stages. >> > > > > > >> > > > > > For #4579, I will add it to the release tracker and watch the >> > related >> > > > > PRs. >> > > > > > Given the discussion so far, I will treat it as something we >> should >> > > try >> > > > > to >> > > > > > resolve before cutting the RC, but not necessarily a hard >> blocker >> > > > unless >> > > > > > others feel strongly that it should block 1.6.0. >> > > > > > >> > > > > > Thanks, >> > > > > > -ej >> > > > > > >> > > > > > On Mon, Jun 1, 2026 at 9:43 AM Yufei Gu <[email protected]> >> > > wrote: >> > > > > > >> > > > > > > Thanks for filing the issue. It's great to have it. I'm OK to >> > > > consider >> > > > > > 4579 >> > > > > > > either a blocker or non-blocker, as we have made releases >> without >> > > it >> > > > > > > multiple times. I can also help with PMC duty. >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > > Yufei >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > > On Sun, May 31, 2026 at 10:48 PM Jean-Baptiste Onofré < >> > > > [email protected] >> > > > > > >> > > > > > > wrote: >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > Hi EJ, >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > This plan sounds good to me. Thanks for volunteering! >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > I have created >> https://github.com/apache/polaris/issues/4579, >> > as >> > > > the >> > > > > > > > release workflow and documentation need to be updated. I am >> > > > currently >> > > > > > > > working on this, and it should be considered a release >> blocker. >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > Additionally, you will need the assistance of a PMC member >> to >> > > > > complete >> > > > > > > > the post-vote release steps. I will be happy to help you >> with >> > > that >> > > > > > > > process. >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > Regards, >> > > > > > > > JB >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > On Fri, May 29, 2026 at 9:16 PM EJ Wang < >> > > > > > [email protected]> >> > > > > > > > wrote: >> > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > Hi all, >> > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > I would like to volunteer as the release manager for >> Apache >> > > > Polaris >> > > > > > > > 1.6.0. >> > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > I am thinking about targeting Friday, June 26, 2026 for >> the >> > > > > release, >> > > > > > > > > assuming the community agrees and we do not have blocking >> > > issues >> > > > by >> > > > > > > then. >> > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > To start planning, could folks please share if there are >> any: >> > > > > > > > > - release blockers for 1.6.0 >> > > > > > > > > - must-have PRs that should be included >> > > > > > > > > - timing concerns around the proposed date >> > > > > > > > > - areas where you would like to help validate the release >> > > > candidate >> > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > Based on the previous 1.5.0 release flow, my rough plan >> is: >> > > > > > > > > - collect blockers and must-have PRs over the next couple >> of >> > > > weeks >> > > > > > > > > - start converging the scope around mid-June >> > > > > > > > > - prepare the changelog/release notes and cut the first RC >> > > around >> > > > > > June >> > > > > > > 20 >> > > > > > > > > - keep the vote open for at least 72 hours >> > > > > > > > > - publish and announce the release around June 26 if the >> vote >> > > > > passes >> > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > I will also keep an eye on release workflow/artifact >> > > validation, >> > > > > > > > including >> > > > > > > > > source artifacts, Maven artifacts, Docker images, Helm >> chart, >> > > > > Python >> > > > > > > > > package, and the website/downloads page. >> > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > Please let me know if this timeline sounds reasonable, or >> if >> > > > there >> > > > > > are >> > > > > > > > > concerns I should account for. >> > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > Thanks, >> > > > > > > > > -ej >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > >> > > >> > >> >
