The “Scheduled for deprecation” list contains modules that have not been updated with a new release in at least 4.5 years. Publishers of these modules will receive a notification. If the module is not updated and republished within 6 months of the initial notification, the module will be deprecated.

The deprecation process is part of a broader initiative to enhance the content of Puppet Forge and improve the user experience. As part of the process, publishers who own rarely updated modules are encouraged to review and improve the modules. Publishers can address defects, introduce functionality, and help to ensure compatibility with recent versions of Puppet software. Publishers also have the option to not update their modules, thus allowing the modules to be deprecated. The outcome of this initiative is that existing modules are optimized, and searches on the Forge become more efficient because deprecated modules are no longer displayed by default in search results.

No action is required. However, you should be aware that the search functionality differs for active and deprecated modules. To find a deprecated module, you must select the Show deprecated modules checkbox. In the search results, the module page looks different from that of an active module. You can still download a deprecated module from the Forge, but the module is not supported and not updated. If you previously downloaded a module and the module is listed as part of your Puppetfile, you can continue to use the module. However, because the module is not being updated, and possible issues are not being addressed, you should consider replacing the deprecated module with an alternative module.

You should have received instructions about the next steps in emails from forge@puppet.com. If the module is already deprecated, please reach out to the Forge team at forge@puppet.com or on the forge-modules Slack channel of the Puppet Community. Provide the module details, and the team will work with you. If the module is scheduled for deprecation, consider updating the module and re-releasing it on the Forge before the scheduled deprecation date.

You can start by analyzing any GitHub issues or pull requests against the module. If you still don’t anticipate activity on the module, consider testing your module with recent Puppet versions and on recent platforms, update the metadata accordingly, and publish a new release on the Forge.

Reach out to the Forge team at forge@puppet.com or on the forge-modules Slack channel of the Puppet Community. Provide the module details, and the team will consider the next steps on a case-by-case basis.