The first release of the OpenVox project has been presented, which is developing a fork of the Puppet configuration management automation system. This allows for the automation of administration across a group of servers and organizes centralized execution of tasks such as user management, package installation, and configuration updates. It is noted that the first release, OpenVox 8.11, is equivalent to the corresponding version of Puppet and can be used as a transparent replacement. The project's code is written in Ruby and is distributed under the Apache 2.0 license.
OpenVox is planned to develop as a soft fork synchronized with the Puppet codebase, maintaining full compatibility with Puppet releases. Currently, the team that created the fork is working with representatives from Perforce, the company that owns the Puppet project, to establish a joint steering committee that will define the direction of development for OpenVox and Puppet.
It is noted that until the rebranding process and the deployment of the testing system are completed, OpenVox is not recommended for production deployments in mission-critical infrastructures. Functionally, OpenVox supports the same commands, modules, extensions, and configurations as Puppet.
Among the goals mentioned for OpenVox are: modernizing the codebase and ecosystem (for example, adding support for current operating systems); focusing development on the needs of the community and users; democratizing platform support and providing the ability to implement necessary changes without regard to business requirements; and maintaining an active and responsive community.
The reason for creating the fork is attributed to changes in Perforce's policies. In 2022, Perforce acquired the Puppet project. In the fall of 2024, Perforce ceased public distribution of binary packages with Puppet, shifted its focus to developing an internal branch, and discontinued the development of the open codebase. The Puppet license remains the same, but the source code created by Perforce is no longer publicly available.
According to the creators of OpenVox, this project should be considered primary, as Perforce basically created its proprietary fork of Puppet based on the refined code developed with community involvement. The OpenVox developers will continue to advance the core codebase but cannot use the Puppet name, which belongs to Perforce. The company attempted to impose a one-sided collaboration on the community, where the community would have to maintain the community version of Puppet without providing the necessary capabilities and freedoms. However, this approach did not satisfy the community.
Source: opennet.ru
