+1 (non-binding) I validated 4.2.5-candidate-1 on Linux x86_64 with JDK 21.
- Verified SHA-512 checksums and PGP signatures for both source and binary distributions. - Built the broker and its dependencies from the source distribution. - Passed standalone smoke tests covering pub/sub, subscription modes, batching/compression, schemas, redelivery, dead-letter topics, delayed delivery, and transactions. - Verified durable subscription recovery after a standalone restart. - Verified basic compatibility with Java clients 4.0.13 and 4.2.4, and the legacy Java client API from 5.0.0-candidate-1. Thanks for preparing the release! Best regards, void-ptr974
