OpenSSL Communities

Where should design and process proposals live?

Dmitry Misharov Tue 22 Sep 2026 1:03PMPublicSeen by 27

I have written a proposal for a merge queue and found there is nowhere to put it. We have two places today, and neither fits. `doc/designs` in the main repository is for library designs, per the design process policy. The policy repositories are for policies, with their own change process. A proposal about infrastructure, tooling or process has no home, no template, no status, and no way to be found later. So the merge queue proposal is a markdown file I am passing around by hand. That is the problem, in one sentence.

Suggestion: an `openssl/proposals` repository. One markdown file per proposal. The pull request is the discussion, so comments attach to specific lines and revisions show what changed after feedback. Status in the header: draft, accepted, rejected, withdrawn, implemented. Merging records a proposal; it does not mean acceptance, so rejected ones stay findable with their reasoning. Rendered to openssl-library.org the same way the policy repositories already are.

Why not the alternatives: Google Docs loses comments against versions and engineers avoid it. A wiki has no review step. Loomio is good for the discussion and the decision, but a thread is a poor home for a document that gets revised.

Two things to note. The design process policy still refers to the OTC, which no longer exists, so it needs an update anyway. And whatever we decide, the merge queue proposal needs somewhere to live now. Does this seem worth setting up, and who would own it?

Tomas MrazTue 22 Sep 2026 2:13PM

Why not use the openssl/project repo instead? This sounds like a natural fit.

Paul DaleTue 22 Sep 2026 9:31PM

I agree, this would be a reasonable place and better than a brand new repository.

I personally wouldn't object to `doc/designs` in the main repository. There is plenty of GitHub presence in the main repository already.

Dmitry BelyavskySat 26 Sep 2026 11:07AM

@Tomas Mraz +1

Tomas MrazTue 22 Sep 2026 2:15PM

BTW, I do not see references to OTC in the design process policy. Are you looking at the latest version?

Richard Levitte (individual)Tue 22 Sep 2026 2:56PM

"proposals" isn't a sensible name. When a proposal gets approved, it's not a proposal any longer. If you need a new repo, I would call it "processes", and proposals would simply be PRs. However, @tomas' idea to use openssl/project would be fine too.

Dmitry MisharovWed 23 Sep 2026 12:49PM

@Richard Levitte (individual) I disagree. RFC also are not RFCs anymore when they approved, also JEP, PEP and so on is common practice in other projects.

Richard Levitte (individual)Sun 27 Sep 2026 4:46PM

@dmitry, yeahok