Bug 31008 - Long Term Support (LTS) version of Koha
Summary: Long Term Support (LTS) version of Koha
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: Koha
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Installation and upgrade (web-based installer) (show other bugs)
Version: Main
Hardware: All All
: P5 - low new feature (vote)
Assignee: Bugs List
QA Contact: Testopia
URL: https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/...
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-06-21 22:39 UTC by David Nind
Modified: 2023-06-18 12:14 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

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Description David Nind 2022-06-21 22:39:42 UTC
Adding a "long-term support" release of Koha supported by the Koha Community.

This would be in addition to current 18-months to two-year release support (stable, old stable, and old old stable).
Comment 1 David Nind 2022-06-21 23:20:24 UTC
This was discussed at the Development IRC meeting on 8 June 2022.

Meeting log: https://meetings.koha-community.org/2022/development_irc_meeting_8_june_2022.2022-06-08-20.59.log.html#l-134

Meeting minutes: https://meetings.koha-community.org/2022/development_irc_meeting_8_june_2022.2022-06-08-20.59.html

General agreement was reached that: 

1. LTS = 2.5 to 3 years 
2. Start with oldstable (which is now 21.11) 
3. LTS maintainer role for each cycle (there is no expectation that this is same person for up to three years - can be/preferable that it is someone different each cycle)
4. Mandate = security + things that are broken (APIs (external), dependencies (such as Elasticsearch), etc) + essential backports only once past oldoldstable
5. Irregular release - only when something is needed once past oldoldstable 
6. Let everyone know what LTS is and what it means for support (website, mailing list, manual section on supported versions, etc)

For the next 21.11 release indicate that it is proposed that 21.11 becomes the first (next?) LTS release - we would confirm or otherwise at next development meeting.

Actions to take (so far):

1. Create bug
2. Seek feedback on development mailing list
3. Agree at next available development IRC meeting
4. Once agreed:
   . Update website
   . Message to general mailing list
   . Add role for LTS release maintainer for the next cycle (23.05)
   . Installation notes
   . Manual section on supported versions
Comment 2 David Nind 2022-06-22 00:01:47 UTC
Message sent to development mailing list: https://lists.koha-community.org/pipermail/koha-devel/2022-June/047143.html

Added to the agenda for the 22 June 2022 Development IRC meeting - probably more as a progress report, as insufficient time provided to comment: https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Development_IRC_meeting_22_June_2022
Comment 3 David Nind 2022-07-06 12:34:36 UTC
Discussed at the 22 June 2022 meeting: https://meetings.koha-community.org/2022/development_irc_meeting_22_june_2022.2022-06-22-14.02.log.html#l-203

Comment received on mailing list from Paul Poulain about ecosystem around Koha such as the LTS versions of Ubuntu, Debian, database versions, and other dependencies such as specific perl modules: https://lists.koha-community.org/pipermail/koha-devel/2022-June/047145.html

> my main question is about the ecosystem around 
> Koha. For example, how to manage Koha LTS regarding 
> Debian/Ubuntu/Elastic Search/MariaDB... upgrades ? How can we be sure 
> that, in 2 years, Koha LTS will become "unmaintainable" because it 
> requires a Perl library that can't be upgraded and the underlying tool 
> (OS, search engine...) isn't maintained anymore in the compatible version ?
Comment 4 David Nind 2022-07-20 14:17:45 UTC
Discussed further at the 6 July 2022 development meeting https://meetings.koha-community.org/2022/development_irc_meeting_6_july_2022.2022-07-06-21.00.log.html

General points discussed:

1) Which version will be LTS: discussion leant towards preferring 22.05, rather than 21.11
2) Overlap time (half year or year): discussion leant towards a year
3) Regular maintenance time (1 year, 1.5 years...)

Diagram: https://lite.framacalc.org/29o8a7mlwc-9v57

To add questions to vote on to the next agenda. Those not able to attend next meeting - add apologies and record votes in advance (if questions added to the agenda).
Comment 5 Victor Grousset/tuxayo 2022-07-22 01:27:52 UTC
Discussed further at the Development IRC meeting 20 July 2022
http://irc.koha-community.org/koha/2022-07-20#i_2439428

See discussion and diagram 2 and 3 about the need to have 3.5 years of LTS maintenance. https://lite.framacalc.org/29o8a7mlwc-9v57
tl;dr there need to be a year of overlap to allow jumping to LTS to LTS on the any time of the year. To allow libraries to be able to pick or winter or summer for example depending on their organization.
Comment 6 Katrin Fischer 2023-06-18 12:14:33 UTC
Decisions have been made and documented:
https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Koha_Versioning#LTS_Releases