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<!-- page was renamed from Extras/PackageEndOfLife
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When a package reaches the end of its useful life, the following procedure will let other people -- and automated processes! -- know both not to expect any more releases, and why it was removed.  The process is simple.


When a package reaches the end of its useful life, the following procedure will let other people -- and automated processes! -- know both not to expect any more releases, and why it was removed.  The process is called retirement.
== Procedure ==
{{admon/warning|Retire only in development/EPEL branches!|Do not retire packages in other branches than Branched (until the [[Schedule|Final Freeze]]), Rawhide (master) and EPEL branches (el6, epel7).
When you need to add package from EPEL to any RHEL release, only retire EPEL branch when package is released in that RHEL release.}}
Please execute the following steps in the order indicated.
Please execute the following steps in the order indicated.


# Make sure the package is properly Obsoleted/Provided by something '''if''' it is being replaced, see [[Packaging:Guidelines#Renaming.2FReplacing_Existing_Packages|Renaming/Replacing Guidelines]]. If not, go on to the next step.
=== RPM ===
# Run <code>fedpkg retire MSG</code>. This will recursively remove all files, then add a <code>dead.package</code> file to git.  Do it for all affected package branches (usually <code>master</code> only, but also the branched release if it has not yet released). The MSG parameter is a message which should briefly explain where this package went ('Obsolete package', 'Renamed to bar' or the like) and will be written in the dead.package file.
If the package is being replaced by some other package, ensure that the Obsoletes/Provides tags are properly set by the new package, see [https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/packaging-guidelines/#renaming-or-replacing-existing-packages Renaming/Replacing Guidelines].
# <code>git rm</code> all files in the other branches '''only if''' there are special factors at work, like licensing issues, or package being removed completely from Fedora.
 
# Remove the package from [[How_to_use_and_edit_comps.xml_for_package_groups| comps]]  if it is listed.
=== GIT ===
# Mark the package as "retired" in [https://admin.fedoraproject.org/pkgdb the package database system]: log in with your FAS credentials, go to the page for your package, and click the '''Retire package''' button for each branch on which you are retiring the package. Do '''not''' execute this step if you don't have already completed steps 2 and 3, otherwise you will have to ask a [[Provenpackager policy|provenpackager]] to perform those steps for you.
Run <code>fedpkg retire DESCRIPTION</code> in all non-stable Fedora branches and EPEL
# If the package was registered on https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Upstream_release_monitoring ; remove it from that page
branches, if applicable. The retiring needs to start with the oldest branch
# File a [https://fedorahosted.org/rel-eng/newticket ticket] for rel-eng (component koji) asking the package to be blocked from the appropriate collections in which it is retired.
(e.g. retire on f31 before you retire on master)
# Optionally, you can update the Wiki list of [[Deprecated packages]], but it is now considered mostly obsoleted by the package database system.
 
 
==== Remarks ====
* The <code>DESCRIPTION</code> parameter should explain why the package was retired, good messages are:
** <code>Obsoleted by bar</code>
** <code>Renamed to bar</code>
* The command will remove all files from the branch, add a file name <code>dead.package</code> containing the description and push the changes.
* <code>git rm</code> all files in the other branches '''only if''' there are special factors at work, like licensing issues, or package being removed completely from Fedora.
* If you retired master before other older branches you want to retire, just continue with the older branches. It will still work, but will block the package in more Koji tags, because tag inheritance will not be used automatically then.
 
=== Comps ===
Remove the package from [[How_to_use_and_edit_comps.xml_for_package_groups| comps]]  if it is listed.
 
=== Spins ===
Remove the package from any [https://pagure.io/fedora-kickstarts spin kickstart file]
fork fedora-kickstarts and check out your clone. commit any fixes and send in a Pull Request
    git clone ssh://git@pagure.io/path/to/fork/fedora-kickstarts.git
 
=== Upstream Release Monitoring ===
Remove the package from [[Upstream_release_monitoring]] if it is listed.
 
{{admon/note|Use the Flag button|Currently, regular users can't delete a project from [[Upstream_release_monitoring]]. To delete a project, one must click on the Flag button and use the flagging form to request that the project be deleted.}}
 
 
=== Koji ===
To keep retired packages from being pushed to the mirrors, they need to be blocked in koji. This will happen during the next compose (for rawhide, the branched release and for EPEL). If the package was not blocked automatically after two days, please file a
[https://pagure.io/releng/new_issue ticket] for release engineering and mention the package name and the branch the package needs to be blocked.
 
==== Remarks ====
* Please wait two days before opening a ticket to allow for a compose to happen and then the mirrors to be updated.
* Use one ticket for all packages you retired at once, do not open one ticket for each package if you retired several packages.
* You check whether a package is blocked in koji, e.g. for the package <code>curry</code> there should the a entry with <code>[BLOCKED]</code> for each branch the package was retired in. It is enough for a package to be retired in an older tag to be also blocked in a newer tag due to inheritance:
 
<pre>
$ koji list-pkgs  --show-blocked --tag f21 --package curry                             
Package                Tag                    Extra Arches    Owner         
----------------------- ----------------------- ---------------- ---------------
curry                  f20                                      gemi            [BLOCKED]
</pre>
 
== EPEL ==
Note that you can use this process for EPEL as well with one difference:
 
* You can remove the package from any EPEL branch whether or not it has been released.
 
For example, if your package has been added to base RHEL in RHEL-6.4 then perform the steps above but use the <code>el6</code> branch instead of <code>master</code>.
 
== Unretire a Package ==
See [[Orphaned_package_that_need_new_maintainers]]
 
== Obsoleting Packages ==
While not strictly part of the process, please consider what will happen to systems which have the now-retired packages installed.  Generally, such packages will simply remain on the system as it is updated, becoming increasingly outdated.
 
Please consider adding your package to [https://src.fedoraproject.org/rpms/fedora-obsolete-packages/ fedora-obsolete-packages].
 
Please follow relevant [https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/packaging-guidelines/#renaming-or-replacing-existing-packages packaging guidelines] if another package will be providing similar or identical functionality to the retired package, or if it is necessary that the package be removed from end-user systems on system updates.
 
[[Category:Package Maintainers]]
[[Category:Package Maintainers]]

Revision as of 21:33, 13 March 2020

When a package reaches the end of its useful life, the following procedure will let other people -- and automated processes! -- know both not to expect any more releases, and why it was removed. The process is called retirement.

Procedure

Warning.png
Retire only in development/EPEL branches!
Do not retire packages in other branches than Branched (until the Final Freeze), Rawhide (master) and EPEL branches (el6, epel7). When you need to add package from EPEL to any RHEL release, only retire EPEL branch when package is released in that RHEL release.

Please execute the following steps in the order indicated.

RPM

If the package is being replaced by some other package, ensure that the Obsoletes/Provides tags are properly set by the new package, see Renaming/Replacing Guidelines.

GIT

Run fedpkg retire DESCRIPTION in all non-stable Fedora branches and EPEL branches, if applicable. The retiring needs to start with the oldest branch (e.g. retire on f31 before you retire on master)


Remarks

  • The DESCRIPTION parameter should explain why the package was retired, good messages are:
    • Obsoleted by bar
    • Renamed to bar
  • The command will remove all files from the branch, add a file name dead.package containing the description and push the changes.
  • git rm all files in the other branches only if there are special factors at work, like licensing issues, or package being removed completely from Fedora.
  • If you retired master before other older branches you want to retire, just continue with the older branches. It will still work, but will block the package in more Koji tags, because tag inheritance will not be used automatically then.

Comps

Remove the package from comps if it is listed.

Spins

Remove the package from any spin kickstart file fork fedora-kickstarts and check out your clone. commit any fixes and send in a Pull Request

   git clone ssh://git@pagure.io/path/to/fork/fedora-kickstarts.git

Upstream Release Monitoring

Remove the package from Upstream_release_monitoring if it is listed.

Note.png
Use the Flag button
Currently, regular users can't delete a project from Upstream_release_monitoring. To delete a project, one must click on the Flag button and use the flagging form to request that the project be deleted.


Koji

To keep retired packages from being pushed to the mirrors, they need to be blocked in koji. This will happen during the next compose (for rawhide, the branched release and for EPEL). If the package was not blocked automatically after two days, please file a ticket for release engineering and mention the package name and the branch the package needs to be blocked.

Remarks

  • Please wait two days before opening a ticket to allow for a compose to happen and then the mirrors to be updated.
  • Use one ticket for all packages you retired at once, do not open one ticket for each package if you retired several packages.
  • You check whether a package is blocked in koji, e.g. for the package curry there should the a entry with [BLOCKED] for each branch the package was retired in. It is enough for a package to be retired in an older tag to be also blocked in a newer tag due to inheritance:
$ koji list-pkgs  --show-blocked --tag f21 --package curry                               
Package                 Tag                     Extra Arches     Owner          
----------------------- ----------------------- ---------------- ---------------
curry                   f20                                      gemi            [BLOCKED]

EPEL

Note that you can use this process for EPEL as well with one difference:

  • You can remove the package from any EPEL branch whether or not it has been released.

For example, if your package has been added to base RHEL in RHEL-6.4 then perform the steps above but use the el6 branch instead of master.

Unretire a Package

See Orphaned_package_that_need_new_maintainers

Obsoleting Packages

While not strictly part of the process, please consider what will happen to systems which have the now-retired packages installed. Generally, such packages will simply remain on the system as it is updated, becoming increasingly outdated.

Please consider adding your package to fedora-obsolete-packages.

Please follow relevant packaging guidelines if another package will be providing similar or identical functionality to the retired package, or if it is necessary that the package be removed from end-user systems on system updates.