A collective of former WordPress developers and contributors backed by the Linux Foundation has launched the FAIR Package Manager, a new and independent distribution system for trusted WordPress plugins and themes.
This is a response to recent controversy after a legal conflict between commercial WordPress hosting providers Automattic and WP Engine, after the former banned the latter’s access to the WordPress.org platform used by all WordPress sites to keep plugins and themes up-to-date.
The conflict stems from multiple issues, including brand usage disputes and disagreements over contributions to the WordPress open-source project.
WP Engine sent a cease-and-desist letter to Automattic after Matt Mullenweg, WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO, publicly criticized them for profiting from WordPress without adequate contributions, calling WP Engine a “cancer to WordPress.”
WP Engine also accused Mullenweg of trying to extort millions for trademark licensing by threatening with a “scorched earth nuclear approach” if they didn’t comply. Automattic then countered with its own cease-and-desist letter, claiming WP Engine generated $400 million in revenue through unauthorized use of the WordPress name and infringing on WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks.
In light of these issues, the Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Linux development and open-source projects, unveiled the FAIR Package Manager, a vendor-neutral plugin distribution system that doesn’t rely on a single source for plugin and theme delivery and updates.
“The FAIR Package Manager project paves the way for the stability and growth of open source content management, giving contributors and businesses additional options governed by a neutral community,” said Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin.
This decentralized alternative to the WordPress.org ecosystem returns control to WordPress developers and hosts via a drop-in plugin that replaces centralized services with a federated infrastructure.
The new platform “brings together a fragmented ecosystem by bringing together plugins from any source” and “builds security into the supply chain, including improved cryptographic security measures, enhanced browser compatibility checking, and enabling reliance on trusted source security salts.”
It also replaces communication via WordPress.org APIs with local or FAIR alternatives, introduces a new distribution model for plugins and themes (adding support for opt-in packages that use the FAIR protocol), and allows hosts to set up their own plugin and theme mirrors using AspirePress or their own domains.
“The FAIR Package Manager project gives the WordPress ecosystem a stronger, more independent foundation for delivering software. By decentralizing distribution, we’re ensuring the long-term sustainability of this open source content management platform,” said Carrie Dils, one of three FAIR Technical Steering Committee co-chairs.
“For anyone building on WordPress – whether as a product, a service or critical infrastructure – the FAIR Package Manager project offers a trustworthy, stable path forward.”
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