5 August 2015 --The Apache Logging Services™ Project Management Committee (PMC) has announced that the Log4j™ 1.x logging framework has reached its end of life (EOL) and is no longer officially supported.

Log4j saw its first release in 1999 and quickly became the most used logging framework ever. Over the years the project has released several versions of the initial Log4j codebase, and is now actively developing and maintaining version 2.

In the Log4j 1 lifecycle, there have been 21 Log4j 1 releases; the last one being in 2012. As of today, there will be no further releases of the Log4j 1 code base. Users are encouraged to upgrade to Log4j 2.

Apache Log4j 2 features a completely rewritten framework. In addition, it is faster, more reliable, and much easier to develop and maintain.

"All our volunteer efforts are now going into Log4j 2. Our community has grown again and we are actively maintaining Log4j 2," explained Christian Grobmeier, Vice President of Apache Logging Services. "We are so happy with the quality and stability of Log4j 2, we are convinced it is a fantastic replacement for Log4j 1."

Log4j 2 has had 19 releases thus far, the last 6 being marked as GA/General Availability, and the latest one being in May 2015.

Availability and Oversight
Apache Logging software is released under the Apache License v2.0 and is overseen by a self-selected team of active contributors to the project. A Project Management Committee (PMC) guides the Project's day-to-day operations, including community development and product releases. For downloads, documentation, and ways to become involved with Apache Log4j, visit http://logging.apache.org/

Q & A from the Apache Logging PMC

Q: Why did you do this?
A. The Log4j 1 code base has had some architectural flaws and the release process is complex, which is partly why few volunteers are maintaining this code base.

Q: What will happen to old Log4j 1 resources?
A: All resources will stay where they are. The documentation will be accessible and you will be able to download the framework as usual.

Q: Will you fix security problems in Log4j 1?
A: No, with EOL reached, we will not provide any more releases for Log4j 1. We suggest you upgrade to Log4j 2.
Q: Can we start a project based on Log4j 1?
A: Yes, but we don't recommend it; we recommend using Log4j 2 instead.

Q: My friends/colleagues and I would like to see Log4j 1 being maintained again. What can we do?
A: If there are enough volunteers, there is nothing holding us back releasing Log4j 1 again. However, for the moment, we don't see this making sense, nor do we believe this will happen in near future.

Q: Is there a way to quickly migrate from Log4j 1.x to Log4j 2.x?
A: Yes, you can use the Log4j 1.x bridge http://logging.apache.org/log4j/2.x/log4j-1.2-api/index.html You must use this bridge without Log4j 1 jars in your application's classpath. The bridge forwards all requests to Log4j 1 to Log4j 2.

Q: Why should I use Log4j 2?
A: We maintained Log4j 1 for 16 years, with some years seeing few releases. With version 2, we were able to build a full-featured successor. These reasons alone are worth considering Log4j over other logging frameworks. 

Q: What if I have questions or want to contribute in the future?

A: If you need more information, please visit http://logging.apache.org/log4j/2.x/ . We welcome new community members, including you, to help improving the project. We welcome all your questions on our mailing lists.

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© The Apache Software Foundation. "Apache", "Apache Logging Services", "Apache Log4j", and "Log4j" are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

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