[boost] On the lack of manpower: (Apache stdcxx)

Subject: [boost] On the lack of manpower: (Apache stdcxx)
From: Jim Bell (Jim_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-01-06 09:43:39

Though this isn't news, I just came across it and it speaks to our 
common problem. (And it's of interest to boost users in general.) Note 
that ARM and Sun are even invested in stdcxx to some extent.

 From Apache's C++ Standard Library project 
<http://stdcxx.apache.org/status/2011-02.txt>:

   Stdcxx continues to be dormant. All but [1] committer have moved on
   to other projects. The only remaining committer (the VP of the
   project) is too busy with his day job to make even small changes,
   or to put out the long-awaited patch release, stdcxx 4.2.2.

   A number of users and organizations have been using the project
   and expressed interest in contributing to it. Several submitted
   patches, others have offered help with the project build and test
   infrastructure. Unfortunately, since no committer is available to
   review patches and guide the contributors through the ASF process
   to enable them to gain commit privileges there seems to be little
   hope of reviving stdcxx.

   A possible solution that would allow contributions to resume is
   to grant commit privileges to the handful of contributors who have
   already submitted some patches or expressed serious interest in
   contributing going forward.

   Another alternative is to move stdcxx to a repository outside
   of ASF such as SPI (http://www.spi-inc.org/) where interested
   developers could start committing changes on their own right away,
   without going through the "training" process. This seems to the
   preferred solution among at least some of the interested users.

   Are there any other options?

Future plans:

   Unless the issue with contributions can be resolved in the next
   quarter I suggest to retire the project.