feat(ADR): LTS Strategy

docs/adr/lts-strategy.md

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+# ADR [Number]: LTS Strategy and Support Schedule
+
+## Status
+
+Proposed
+
+## Submitters
+
+- @wesleytodd
+
+## Decision Owners
+
+- @expressjs/express-tc
+
+## Context
+
+Conversation about our LTS strategy, support dates for our major release lines, and how we should message this content
+has been spread out across multiple issues, repos, slack channels, and meetings. We have landed a few starter documents,
+and generally have agreed on our goals/strategy but we have not officially documented and centralized that. This ADR is
+both gathering all that context to one place as well as give concrete decisions and next steps.
+
+### Scope:
+
+This ADR applies to, and should cover, all repositories within the Express Projects three orgs (`jshttp`, `pillarjs`,
+`expressjs`). While everything stems from support for the primary `express` package, due to the coupling of many of our
+dependency and middleware packages, we must also address those packages as well. 
+
+### ADR Goals:
+
+- Improve documentation on our support goals
+- Document criteria and reasoning for when to release new majors
+- Define life cycle for releases, terminology we will use, 
+- Improve documentation on how our LTS relates to Node.js version support
+- Documentation on how our LTS relates to our direct dependencies and other Express project repos/packages
+- Set clear next steps for documenting and publicising the LTS strategy 
+- Select dates for known release line support and EOL
+- Create starter language and graphics for our future blog posts, website additions, and other necessary docs 
+
+### ADR Non-Goals:
+
+- Create an end-user documentation resource (either for immediate use or future use)
+- Commit to future release dates
+
+**Existing issues/discussions/pull requests related to this:**
+
+- Initial LTS strategy doc: https://github.com/expressjs/discussions/blob/master/docs/LTS-strategy.md
+- Additional LTS doc proposal: https://github.com/expressjs/admin/pull/3
+- https://github.com/ctcpip/express-release
+- Some other related discussions:
+  - https://github.com/expressjs/discussions/issues/196
+  - https://github.com/expressjs/discussions/issues/172
+  - https://github.com/expressjs/discussions/issues/67
+- TC Slack Discussion: https://openjs-foundation.slack.com/archives/C06KMCETHG9/p1724863852681889
+
+### Package/Repository Types
+
+We maintain four primary types of packages/repos:
+
+1. `express`: The minimal http framework
+2. `express` dependencies: Libraries which are used directly or transitively within `express` and also by others outside
+   of the project
+3. Middleware: Libraries for use *with* `express` but not installed with it directly
+4. Others: Tools, documentation, websites, resources, etc.
+
+While much of this proposal is targeted specifically at `express`, this terminology will be used to differentiate where
+we are not only talking about `express`.
+
+## Decision
+
+The Express project will have a well defined Long Term Support (LTS) strategy and schedule based on the following
+requirements:
+
+- `express` major versions will go through three supported phases: Current, Active, & Maintenance
+  - `CURRENT`: A new major version is designated as `CURRENT` upon release. It is available but not the `latest` version
+    on npm for a minimum of 3 months.
+  - `ACTIVE`: After the minimum 3 month period and the TC agrees it is stable and secure, the `ACTIVE` version is
+    tagged `latest` on npm for a minimum of 12 months.
+  - `MAINTENANCE`: When a new major version becomes `ACTIVE`, the previous major version enters `MAINTENANCE` for a minimum of 12 months.
+- After the `MAINTENANCE` time has ended the major version is considered `EOL` and is unsupported.
+- During the `ACTIVE` period, a new major version may be released but *not* until at least 12 months have passed
+  since the `CURRENT` version became `ACTIVE`.
+- Users are required to follow the head/latest of each major release line for support with all packages (`express`,
+  dependencies, middleware, & tools/other)
+- If we have no necessary breaking changes, we will not release a new major version. Applies to `express`,
+  dependencies, middleware, & tools/other.
+- Dropping old Node.js versions *alone* is not enough of a breaking change to release a new major version. Applies to
+  `express`, dependencies, middleware, & tools/other.
+- `express` version 4.x is considered a special case. It will receive a longer `MAINTENENCE` phase of 18 months or until
+  the TC agrees we are safe cutting support.
+- `express` dependency packages will follow the same timeline and support dates for the `express` version which they are
+  included with.
+- Middleware packages should follow the timeline and support dates for the `express` versions they are compatible, but
+  should make reasonable and informed decisions which can deviate if necessary.
+- All other packages are suggested to define an appropriate strategy for support.
+
+### Node.js Version Support
+
+While we recognize that runtime support needs to be tightly aligned with our LTS policy, it is out of scope for this
+ADR and will be addressed in a separate proposal.
+
+### Life Cycle Phases & Meaning
+
+#### CURRENT
+
+- New majors will go through a short period of hardening to ensure stability, security, and ecosystem libraries/resources
+  compatibility.
+- We will strive to ensure no breaking changes are included, but reserve the right to make security or high priority
+  fixes of breaking nature within this period.
+- `CURRENT` lines will receive all types of active work including: bug fixes, security patches, new features, and
+  deprecation notices.
+- Users are recommended to use  `CURRENT` lines and to upgrade as quickly as their risk profile allows
+
+#### ACTIVE
+
+- `ACTIVE` lines will receive all types of active work including: bug fixes, security patches, new features, and
+  deprecation notices.
+- For users, `ACTIVE` lines are considered the most stable and well supported version at any given time.
+
+#### MAINTENANCE
+
+- `MAINTENANCE` lines will only receive security patches or high priority bug fixes.
+- Users are highly encouraged to upgrade to a `CURRENT` or `ACTIVE` release.
+
+### Schedule
+
+For the existing release lines, we will set the following phase dates:
+
+
+| Major | CURRENT | ACTIVE | MAINTENANCE | EOL |
+| ----- | ------- | ------ | ----------- | --- |
+| 4.x   |         |        | 2025-04-01 | <sup>[1]</sup> no sooner than 2026-10-01 |
+| 5.x   | 2024-09-11 | 2025-03-31 | <sup>[2]</sup>TBD | <sup>[2]</sup>TBD |
+| 6.x   | <sup>[3]</sup>TBD | | | |
+
+1. v4 is a special case, and we may extend MAINTENENCE support. This date is called out to give users confidence we will
+   not end-of-life *earlier* than this date.
+2. v5 MAINTENENCE and EOL dates are determined by when v6 is released. We will update them when v6 release dates are
+    committed to. 
+3. v6 work has not started yet. The earliers we could choose to release by this proposal is 2026-01-01. We will update
+     these dates when we commit to them.
+
+### Documentation
+
+The project will maintain two types of documentation for this:
+
+#### Project documentation for the maintainers:
+
+This includes this doc, but also detailed things about the process that are not necessary for anyone but us. This
+documentation will live in one of two places:
+
+1. The `discussions` repo. If the content applies to more than one repo/package in any of the three orgs, is general in
+   nature, or otherwise has no logical other place to go it goes here.
+2. The individual repo/package to which it applies. If an individual package has more detailed or different needs the
+   docs will live along with the repo as decided by the captains.
+
+#### User documentation:
+
+This will be produced for the website. While the source content of it may live in other places (for example a repo to
+produce an image for the schedule), the users will be directed to the website to view the current updated version. This
+will also co-locate with documentation about Node.js support and other related support content. 
+
+#### Next steps:
+
+- Update the existing LTS doc with more details from this decision
+- Update website pages with more details from this decision
+- Close out discussions and other PRs related to this
+
+## Changelog
+
+Track changes or updates to this ADR over time. Include the date, author, and a brief description of each change.
+
+- **[2025-02-28]**: [@wesleytodd] - Initial draft