Fedora Announces Fedora 7-beta Now Available!
Arran Griffith
Happy Friday! On behalf of the Fedora Program, I wanted to kick off the weekend with an exciting update! Read below for all the details.
Fedora Community Announces: fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1 Now Available
The Fedora team is pleased to announce that fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1 is now available for community testing.
Download and Test it:
GitHub:https://github.com/fcrepo/fcrepo/releases/tag/fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1
Docker: https://hub.docker.com/r/fcrepo/fcrepo/tags
Fedora 7.x represents a major modernization of the Fedora application. Through the Dependency Upgrade Project, the Fedora codebase has been updated to the latest versions of Java, Spring, Maven, Jersey, and other key libraries. We have also expanded automated test coverage to ensure smoother upgrades in the future, improved stability, and easier community contributions. Several other fixes and improvements that have been folded into the codebase through recent work and are now rolled into the fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1 release.
You can read more about the development of Fedora 7.x here.
What To Expect:
Key Technical Highlights - fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1
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Modernized dependency stack (security & supportability)
Fedora 7 updates core libraries across the application (including servlet container compatibility, logging, JSON-LD/Jena ecosystem components (including upgrades from json 1.0 to 1.1, and supporting frameworks). These updates align Fedora with currently supported Java infrastructure and reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities. -
Java 21 required at runtime
Fedora 7 now requires Java 21 for both build and deployment. Earlier Java versions are no longer supported and repositories must upgrade their JVM prior to adopting this release. -
Reworked WebAC authentication & authorization handling
The WebAC authorization realm has been refactored to improve request context handling and stability in modern servlet containers (e.g., Tomcat 10+). Administrators should validate permission inheritance, authenticated vs. anonymous access, and front-end application behavior. -
Improved search indexing performance
Fedora now reduces redundant indexing operations and optimizes RDF handling during indexing. Large repositories and initial indexing operations should see improved performance and reduced query overhead. -
HTTP and API behavior corrections
Several HTTP response and exception-handling behaviors were corrected, improving client interoperability and consistency for downstream applications that rely on predictable status codes and headers.
See the full change log here: https://github.com/fcrepo/fcrepo/compare/6.5.1...fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1
Upgrade & Migration Compatibility
Although Fedora 7.x introduces platform and behavioral improvements, the best part is - no repository migration is required for systems already running Fedora 6.x.
Already on Fedora 6.x?
No migration is required to move to 7.x. Thanks to OCFL, Fedora 7.x relies on the standardized data model and storage layout introduced in Fedora 6.x, meaning NO migration required. To move to Fedora 7.x simply download the newest version, deploy it, and restart your Fedora.
On an older version?
For those still running versions of Fedora older than 6.x, we strongly encourage you to consider migrating to 7.x as soon as possible, to ensure you are using a secure, supported version of Fedora.
Good news, though! All existing community migration tools will also function to bring you to 7.x! The migration pathways, tooling, and documentation will all support your migration efforts.
Community Testing
We need you! We are looking to our users to engage in Community Testing to ensure that Fedora 7.x is meeting user expectations and operating as expected. Real-world testing feedback will help inform any optimization and tuning required prior to Production Release.
Download and Test it:
GitHub: https://github.com/fcrepo/fcrepo/releases/tag/fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1
Docker: https://hub.docker.com/r/fcrepo/fcrepo/tags
How to participate
With fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1 we have also released a new set of Community Release Testing Procedures, which can be found here: https://wiki.lyrasis.org/display/FF/Fedora+Release+Testing+Guide+-+Community+Testing
Specific instructions related to this release can be found here: https://wiki.lyrasis.org/display/FF/Release+Testing+-+fcrepo-7.0.0-beta1
All feedback is being directed to a release-specific GitHub discussion which can be found here: https://github.com/fcrepo/fcrepo/discussions/2283
A special Thank You to our dedicated group of active Fedora Committers, who are responsible for all of the work surrounding this release. Without these individuals, Fedora would not be able to celebrate the success of 7.x and we would not be in the position we are today.
Please join me in thanking (in alphabetical order):
Fedora Committer Team:
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Ben Pennell - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Dan Field - Fedora Developer
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Demina Katz - Villanova University
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Jared Whiklo - University of Manitoba
Other Contributors:
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Alex Weid
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Basil Marti - Docuteam
And to all others who offered feedback and support in the Fedora Slack workspace - we appreciate your continued engagement and feedback.
If you have any questions about the release, how to participate or get involved, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the Fedora Program team at fed...@lyrasis.org or directly at arran.g...@lyrasis.or / dan....@lyrasis.org.
This milestone release reflects the resilience of Fedora and the strong foundation built by our global community of users. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Fedora community - past, present, and future.
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Arran Griffith
Program Manager, Fedora Program
Lyrasis
