chore: remove retired Spring Boot 2 starter

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ The SDK's primary artifacts are:
   - Does not have its own logic
 - `openai-java-bedrock`
   - Adds optional Amazon Bedrock authentication and credential-provider integration
-- `openai-java-spring-boot-starter`
-  - Provides the legacy Spring Boot 2 integration
-  - Is retained to verify the final 4.45.0 release, but is OpenAI EOL and no longer published
+
+The retired Spring Boot 2 starter is not part of the active build. Its final source remains available
+in the [`v4.45.0` tag](https://github.com/openai/openai-java/tree/v4.45.0/openai-java-spring-boot-starter),
+and its lifecycle history and consumer migration path are documented in the
+[Spring Boot 2 EOL decision](docs/spring-boot-2-eol.md).
 
 `openai-java-runtime-compatibility` is a non-published fixture that exercises representative
 behavior for each supported artifact on an isolated runtime classpath. Its JVM matrix and each

README.md

@@ -1455,79 +1455,15 @@ GraalVM should automatically detect and use the published metadata, but [manual
 > [!WARNING]
 > `openai-java-spring-boot-starter` targets Spring Boot 2.7 and is OpenAI EOL as of 2026-07-27.
 > Version 4.45.0 is the final supported, tested, and published release. The artifact remains
-> downloadable but receives no fixes, testing, or compatibility support. See the
+> downloadable but receives no fixes, testing, or compatibility support, and its source is no
+> longer part of the active build. See the
 > [Spring Boot 2 EOL decision and migration path](docs/spring-boot-2-eol.md). New Spring
 > applications should depend on `openai-java` directly and provide an `OpenAIClient` bean until a
 > supported, generation-specific integration is available.
 
-Existing Spring Boot 2 applications can use the legacy starter to simplify configuration.
-
-### Installation
-
-#### Gradle
-
-```kotlin
-implementation("com.openai:openai-java-spring-boot-starter:4.45.0")
-```
-
-#### Maven
-
-```xml
-<dependency>
-  <groupId>com.openai</groupId>
-  <artifactId>openai-java-spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
-  <version>4.45.0</version>
-</dependency>
-```
-
-### Configuration
-
-The [client's environment variable options](#client-configuration) can be configured in [`application.properties` or `application.yml`](https://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/how-to/properties-and-configuration.html).
-
-#### `application.properties`
-
-```properties
-openai.base-url=https://api.openai.com/v1
-openai.api-key=My API Key
-openai.admin-key=My Admin API Key
-openai.org-id=My Organization
-openai.project-id=My Project
-openai.webhook-secret=My Webhook Secret
-```
-
-#### `application.yml`
-
-```yaml
-openai:
-  base-url: https://api.openai.com/v1
-  api-key: My API Key
-  admin-key: My Admin API Key
-  org-id: My Organization
-  project-id: My Project
-  webhook-secret: My Webhook Secret
-```
-
-#### Other configuration
-
-Configure any other client option by providing one or more instances of [`OpenAIClientCustomizer`](openai-java-spring-boot-starter/src/main/kotlin/com/openai/springboot/OpenAIClientCustomizer.kt). For example, here's how you'd set [`maxRetries`](#retries):
-
-```java
-import com.openai.springboot.OpenAIClientCustomizer;
-import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
-import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
-
-@Configuration
-public class OpenAIConfig {
-    @Bean
-    public OpenAIClientCustomizer customizer() {
-        return builder -> builder.maxRetries(3);
-    }
-}
-```
-
-### Usage
-
-[Inject](https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/reference/core/beans/dependencies/factory-collaborators.html) [`OpenAIClient`](openai-java-core/src/main/kotlin/com/openai/client/OpenAIClient.kt) anywhere and start using it!
+Existing Spring Boot 2 users can refer to the
+[`v4.45.0` Spring Boot documentation](https://github.com/openai/openai-java/blob/v4.45.0/README.md#spring-boot)
+for the final legacy configuration and usage instructions.
 
 ## Jackson
 

docs/spring-boot-2-eol.md

@@ -20,6 +20,27 @@ floor, or changing the same coordinate to a newer Spring generation would requir
 A future supported Spring integration must use generation-specific coordinates and independently
 pass the policy's 12-month admission gate.
 
+## History and source removal
+
+The starter was introduced in SDK 2.18.0 after
+[an external request](https://github.com/openai/openai-java/issues/480) for Spring Boot
+`application.properties` and `application.yml` support. It was a customer-facing convenience
+artifact, not a test fixture: it bound `openai.*` configuration, created an injectable
+`OpenAIClient` bean, and allowed applications to customize the client builder.
+
+The starter's source was removed from the active build after its final release. Keeping that source
+on the default branch did not verify 4.45.0: the module depended on the current checkout's
+`openai-java` project and therefore compiled and tested an unpublished, changing combination of the
+current SDK with Spring Boot 2.7.18. It also kept the EOL Spring dependency graph active for
+repository security scanning.
+
+Removing the active source does not withdraw the released artifact. Version 4.45.0 remains on Maven
+Central, and its exact implementation and tests remain available in the
+[`v4.45.0` source tag](https://github.com/openai/openai-java/tree/v4.45.0/openai-java-spring-boot-starter).
+The tagged
+[`v4.45.0` README](https://github.com/openai/openai-java/blob/v4.45.0/README.md#spring-boot)
+preserves its final installation and configuration instructions.
+
 ## Consumer migration
 
 Applications that cannot leave Boot 2 may pin the starter to 4.45.0, but do so without OpenAI or

docs/version-support-policy.md

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ that apply this policy.
 | Surface | Decision | Next action |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | Framework-neutral artifacts | Keep Java 8 through SDK v4. | Raise the floor only in an SDK major; first prefer replacing or isolating a constraining dependency. |
-| Existing Spring Boot 2 starter | OpenAI EOL as of 2026-07-27; 4.45.0 is the final supported and published release. | Follow the [Spring Boot 2 EOL decision](spring-boot-2-eol.md); publish no later versions. |
+| Retired Spring Boot 2 starter | OpenAI EOL as of 2026-07-27; 4.45.0 is the final supported and published release, and its source is no longer in the active build. | Keep the final artifact and tagged source available; follow the [Spring Boot 2 EOL decision](spring-boot-2-eol.md); publish no later versions. |
 | Potential Spring Boot 4 integration | Candidate Java 17 integration using a new generation-specific artifact. | Pass the admission gate and Spring ADR before implementation. |
 
 Do not publish an OpenAI Java BOM until independently versioned artifacts or demonstrated consumer

gradle/version-support.properties

@@ -15,5 +15,3 @@ artifact.openai-java-client-okhttp.runtime=8
 artifact.openai-java-client-okhttp.lifecycle=active
 artifact.openai-java-core.runtime=8
 artifact.openai-java-core.lifecycle=active
-artifact.openai-java-spring-boot-starter.runtime=8
-artifact.openai-java-spring-boot-starter.lifecycle=eol