Arch Linux is known for its no-nonsense, transparent development approach, where both users and maintainers play a key role, collaborating openly on everything from bug fixes to package updates, with every change visible to the community.
Back in September last year, Valve entered into a collaboration with Arch Linux for providing backing to two projects: the development of a build service infrastructure and the establishment of a secure signing enclave.
Building on that, an RFC has been posted that looks to streamline how Arch Linux approaches sponsorships.
What's Happening: Jointly authored by Christian Heusel and Rafael Epplée almost a month ago, the RFC aims to create a clear, transparent process for managing sponsorships, defining how support is accepted, disclosed, and governed in line with Arch Linux's standards.
The reasoning behind this is said to be the need for a consistent and transparent process, as Arch Linux increasingly receives inquiries from organizations interested in offering financial support to the project, and project contributors show interest in being paid.
What to Expect: The proposal outlines that any kind of sponsorship ought to be publicly documented, fairly approved, and free from outside influence affecting development decisions.
They mention two kinds of sponsorships here: general sponsorships, which can include anything from donations to gifts, and major sponsorships, which involve larger support that could potentially influence decisions and must follow stricter transparency and review processes.
Plus, there are set guidelines for negotiating sponsorships both as the Arch Linux project and as individuals, preventing conflicts of interest and ensuring that all agreements align with Arch Linux’s values.
The proposal also includes clear rules for enforcing these guidelines and handling any disagreements that may arise during the process. However, because sponsorship is a complex topic, the RFC is intended only as a first step, with many questions still left unanswered.
You can keep an eye on the merge request for this to stay updated.
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