FW: Apache Tomcat versions and proof of support

["Hallstrom, Robert J. CTR" <ro...@ablcda.navy.mil>]

Good morning,


I wanted to follow up on my previous email regarding proof of support for earlier versions.  Please advise if anyone could ASAP.



Regards,


Robert Hallstrom
Configuration Management Specialist
Imagine One Technology & Management, Ltd.
2510 Walmer Ave. Ste. A, Norfolk, VA 23513
Phone:(757)852-6941
Cell: (757) 663-8543
Email: Robert.hallstrom@imagine-one.com<ma...@imagine-one.com>

From: Hallstrom, Robert J. CTR
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 10:24 AM
To: 'users@tomcat.apache.org' <us...@tomcat.apache.org>
Cc: Hardemon, David (CTR) <da...@ablcda.navy.mil>; Powell, Tramphis W. (CTR) <tr...@ablcda.navy.mil>
Subject: Apache Tomcat

Good morning,


I need documentation to prove that version 8.5.16 is still supported.  We use it in supporting a legacy application and need that in order to keep doing so.  Do you know where I can find a list of what versions are still supported?




Regards,


Robert Hallstrom
Configuration Management Specialist
Imagine One Technology & Management, Ltd.
2510 Walmer Ave. Ste. A, Norfolk, VA 23513
Phone:(757)852-6941
Cell: (757) 663-8543
Email: Robert.hallstrom@imagine-one.com<ma...@imagine-one.com>

Re: FW: Apache Tomcat versions and proof of support

["André Warnier (tomcat/perl)" <aw...@ice-sa.com>]

Hi.

Maybe you could start by looking at this page :
http://tomcat.apache.org/index.html
and this one :
http://tomcat.apache.org/whichversion.html
(including the comments after the table)

Tomcat is open-source (and free) software, developed, distributed and supported by volunteers.
Depending on which operating system platform you are using, the version of tomcat that you 
are using may be supported by the OS vendor.
There are also commercial organisations which offer (paying) support for tomcat.

Otherwise, tomcat support is essentially via this very list, which is also manned by 
volunteers.  There is also extensive documentation on-line, even for older versions of 
tomcat. See : http://tomcat.apache.org/findhelp.html

So in terms of "proof of support", what are you expecting exactly ?
I don't think that there is any other formal "proof document", other than the pages 
mentioned above.

In practical terms, examining this list and its archives (see 
http://tomcat.apache.org/lists.html) should convince anyone that the actual support of 
tomcat is pretty good, responsive and consistent over the years.

And if I am allowed a personal and subjective comment, I would add that it certainly beats 
the support available for a lot of commercial products out there.



On 21.02.2020 17:27, Hallstrom, Robert J. CTR wrote:
> Good morning,
> 
> 
> I wanted to follow up on my previous email regarding proof of support for earlier versions.  Please advise if anyone could ASAP.
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 
> Robert Hallstrom
> Configuration Management Specialist
> Imagine One Technology & Management, Ltd.
> 2510 Walmer Ave. Ste. A, Norfolk, VA 23513
> Phone:(757)852-6941
> Cell: (757) 663-8543
> Email: Robert.hallstrom@imagine-one.com<ma...@imagine-one.com>
> 
> From: Hallstrom, Robert J. CTR
> Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 10:24 AM
> To: 'users@tomcat.apache.org' <us...@tomcat.apache.org>
> Cc: Hardemon, David (CTR) <da...@ablcda.navy.mil>; Powell, Tramphis W. (CTR) <tr...@ablcda.navy.mil>
> Subject: Apache Tomcat
> 
> Good morning,
> 
> 
> I need documentation to prove that version 8.5.16 is still supported.  We use it in supporting a legacy application and need that in order to keep doing so.  Do you know where I can find a list of what versions are still supported?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 
> Robert Hallstrom
> Configuration Management Specialist
> Imagine One Technology & Management, Ltd.
> 2510 Walmer Ave. Ste. A, Norfolk, VA 23513
> Phone:(757)852-6941
> Cell: (757) 663-8543
> Email: Robert.hallstrom@imagine-one.com<ma...@imagine-one.com>
> 
> 


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Re: FW: Apache Tomcat versions and proof of support

[Christopher Schultz <ch...@christopherschultz.net>]

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Robert,

On 2/21/20 11:27, Hallstrom, Robert J. CTR wrote:
> I wanted to follow up on my previous email regarding proof of
> support for earlier versions.  Please advise if anyone could
> ASAP.> From: Hallstrom, Robert J. CTR Sent: Tuesday, January 21,
> 2020 10:24 AM To: 'users@tomcat.apache.org'
> <us...@tomcat.apache.org> Cc: Hardemon, David (CTR)
> <da...@ablcda.navy.mil>; Powell, Tramphis W. (CTR)
> <tr...@ablcda.navy.mil> Subject: Apache Tomcat
>
> I need documentation to prove that version 8.5.16 is still
> supported. We use it in supporting a legacy application and need
> that in order to keep doing so.  Do you know where I can find a
> list of what versions are still supported?

That's a request with an interesting answer. In fact, many answers.
You can pick whichever answer below you like the best.

* Is [any Tomcat version] "supported"?

Yes and no. This community is made-up entirely of volunteers. If you
want any guarantees, you'll need to pay someone for those guarantees.
There are non shortage of third-party vendors who will gladly accept
your money in return for support contracts.

But no, technically, no version of Apache Tomcat is really officially
"supported" by the ASF because you really can't 100% rely on anyone to
actually take action if you have a problem, etc.

* Is 8.5.16 still "supported"?

No. Apache Tomcat does not support specific releases, per se. Once
8.5.17 has been released, it's the "current version" and you should
use that one. The current 8.5.x release is 8.5.51, so you are quite
far behind.

* Is 8.5.x still supported? (note the "x")

Yes, by this community. While absolutely zero promises can be made,
this community has successfully been "supporting" Apache Tomcat for
some 20 years, now, and many major and minor releases. "Supported"
means that new releases in the 8.5.x line will continue to be released
into the foreseeable future to address bugs, enhancements, and any
security issues which may arise.

* What does "support" really mean?

This community provides several means of support:

1. This mailing list (and others like it, such as the dev@ list),
where you can ask questions and get general help.

2. Bugzilla, where you can report bugs.

3. New releases whenever appropriate. For Tomcat 7.0.x, these are
becoming rather rare. While not officially in "maintenance mode", that
branch is effectively in that mode which means that it will not really
be getting any feature-updates, etc. and will be patched for security
or other "important" updates, where "important" is at the discretion
of the group of (volunteer!) committers.

* Is this kind of support practical?

It is very practical. Apache Tomcat has one of the most reliable
communities in the Open Source world (if I do say so myself) and a
group of committers who are committed (hah) to maintaining Apache
Tomcat as a reliable product for this community.

* Can this community provide any guarantees?

None whatsoever. To get guarantees, you need to write checks. And you
can't write them to us. Well... you CAN write them to us, but you'd
either be hiring a single person directly (e.g. me, etc.) or you would
be making a donation to the ASF which wouldn't go to any of us
individually and wouldn't get you anything in return other than a
"thank you" from the ASF for your donation.

If you want guaranteed support, with legal proof of such support,
you'll have to hire one of the fine vendors who provide such support
for Open Source software in general.

* What is the list of supported versions?

Tomcat 7.0.x, 8.5.x, and 9.0.x are the active branches that are
considered production-quality. They are all "supported" in their
current patch levels (7.0.100, 8.5.51, 9.0.31) and the branches are
supported in that any problems with the current patch levels will be
addressed in future patch-levels (e.g. 7.0.101, 8.5.52, 9.0.32).

The Apache Tomcat community typically announces End-of-Life (EOL)
schedules 12 months in advance of the actual EOL for that branch. The
next Apache Tomcat version which will have an EOL will most likely be
7.0.x, when 10.0.x becomes a newly-supported version. We like to keep
3 major release versions supported in parallel, so facilitate a stable
and reliable ecosystem, so when 7.0.x goes EOL, you'll be able to
count on support for 8.5.x, 9.0.x, and 10.0.x.

I hope that helps clear things up.

- -chris
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