Call for Input: Mautic Extended Long Term Support (ELTS) Program

We are excited to announce that we are considering implementing an Extended Long Term Support (ELTS) program for Mautic. This initiative aims to provide back-ported security fixes to earlier versions of Mautic that are no longer under active and security support. To ensure this program meets the needs and expectations of our community, we are seeking your views and input.

What is an ELTS Program?

The ELTS program would involve paying an annual fee, in return for which Mautic would provide back-ported security fixes to earlier versions of the software. This service is designed to help organizations that rely on older versions of Mautic maintain a secure environment without the immediate need to upgrade to the latest version.

Some examples of existing ELTS programs in other open source projects:

• https://typo3.com/services/extended-support-elts 
• https://ubuntu.com/security/esm 
• https://www.redhat.com/en/resources/els-datasheet 
• https://wiki.debian.org/LTS/Extended 
• https://elts.joomla.org/ (see RFP: https://www.opensourcematters.org/organisation/requests-for-proposals/322-request-for-proposals-extended-support-for-joomla-3-x.html) 
• https://www.drupal.org/security-team/d7es
• https://www.mongodb.com/services/support/enterprise-advanced-support-plans 
• https://www.percona.com/post-mysql-5-7-eol-support
• https://xlts.dev/angularjs 

We Need Your Input

To create a program that truly benefits our community, we need your feedback on several key aspects. Please consider the following questions and share your thoughts with us - feel free to share any other thoughts you might have, the questions are just a prompt to get started!

Service Expectations:

• What specific features and services would you expect from an ELTS program?
• How important is it for your organization to receive back-ported security fixes for older versions of Mautic?
• What versions of Mautic would you expect to be supported?

Operational Models:

• How do you think the ELTS program should operate?
• Should Mautic perhaps have a dedicated paid team to work on back-ports and apply patches?
• Should Mautic perhaps provide a private repository with patches for users to apply themselves?
• Should Mautic perhaps issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) and allow single or multiple providers to offer the service?
  

Implementation and Management:

• What would be the most critical factors for you in choosing to subscribe to the ELTS program?
• How frequently would you expect updates and patches to be released?
  

Additional Thoughts:

• Are there any other considerations or suggestions you have for the ELTS program?

How to Provide Your Input

The call for input will be open for a month until the end of August. We encourage all community members to share their views and suggestions. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us design a program that meets your needs and supports the continued security and stability of Mautic.

Please submit your input through the following channels:

• Comment: on this debate.
• Email: [email protected] for private enquiries - please use the comment method by default.
• Slack: Join the discussion in the #ELTS channel for general chat about this project (https://mautic.org/slack for an invite) and join #wg-elts to join the working group.

Thank you for your time and contributions. Together, we can create a robust and effective ELTS program that benefits the entire Mautic community.

Best regards,

The Mautic ELTS Working Group