Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] End PEAR Project Endorsement

On 8 September 2026 06:03:08 BST, Nick Sdot <[email protected]> wrote:
>Hey Rowan,
>
>On 08.09.26 06:17, Rowan Tommins [IMSoP] wrote:
>> 
>> That's great that someone finally got in touch. Does he have access to provide a database dump, so we can fill in the missing bug data?
>> 
>
>That was brought up. Unfortunately, the user accounts are gone. Hence, the bug data cannot be provided.


That's a pity. In hindsight, if we'd acted sooner we could have rescued that content before it disappeared; but we couldn't have known that.


>Chuck is the one who had the authority to archive the repos in the PEAR GitHub organisation.


I would make a distinction between technical *ability* and moral *authority*. For example, many people have access to commit to the php-src repo; they have the *ability* to make whatever changes they want, but they only have the *authority* to make changes within our agreed process.

In this case, Derick has the *ability* to repoint the DNS for pear.php.net, but holding this discussion and an RFC vote is a way to grant *authority*. 

Chuck has apparently been keeping parts of the PEAR project running after others drifted off, and I thank him for that. If he *disagreed* with the plan, that would have been significant - but so would anyone replying on the four PEAR mailing lists I posted to last October. Hearing that he is in favour is welcome, but it doesn't change much in terms of moral authority.


>Thanks, Rowan! I am fine with that. One thing I'd add: I think having the "locked PEAR" is nice. Not sure about the favicon change. It's will be a The PHP Group hosted archive, not the successor of the PEAR project. Keeping the PHP favicon feels more sound to me, personally. But I happily leave that decision to you and others (infra team?).


Yes, I kept the favicon part in a separate commit in case it was controversial; feel free to cherry-pick the main styling and skip that one if you prefer.

Cheers,

Rowan Tommins
[IMSoP]