Bug 2007051

I think, that maintainer permission is not needed for requesting the branch. Are you following the procedure from https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/epel/epel-about-next/ ?
There is command:
    fedpkg request-branch epel8-next
As far as I know, the Pagure token needs to be configured before executing 'request-branch' command.

But 'request-branch' command initially checks available packages and architectures in files here:
https://infrastructure.fedoraproject.org/repo/json/
So far there is no epel9* json file, so the 'request-branch' command will fail. And without minor changes (I didn't get any requirements regarding that) in the fedpkg code, only a manual approach can be used for requesting the branch = opening ticket here: https://pagure.io/releng/fedora-scm-requests/issues (the request must have exact format)
I have no idea, how json files are created and who is responsible for them.

But having the branch is not necessary every time. For fedpkg-minimal there are no changes between el7, el8, f33, f34 and rawhide specfiles. So epel9-next target can be built from rawhide as well. There is no epel9 build so far. I did the epel9-next build this way:
    git checkout rawhide
    fedpkg --release epel9-next scratch-build   (https://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/taskinfo?taskID=76185489)
    fedpkg --release epel9-next build   (https://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/taskinfo?taskID=76185595)
    
Is it OK for you?

Anyone can run `fedpkg request-branch`, but fedscm-admin will reject the request if you are not a maintainer.

https://pagure.io/fedscm-admin/blob/a28ddf39ab8307de46d08573a0f1ccc9cf930d4c/f/fedscm_admin/utils.py#_579

I have an open pull request to fedscm-admin to have it check CentOS Stream 9 compose metadata instead of the pkg_elX.json files.  I don't plan on requesting the branch until after that is merged.

https://pagure.io/fedscm-admin/pull-request/72

That build you did will be sufficient to unblock us with standing up epel9-next.  I still think there should be a branch just for consistency, but that can be done later.

I'd still like to become a co-maintainer of the package if you're willing to have me, as I'll need to repeat these steps every 3 years for the standup of each new epel major version.

Ok, thanks for the explanation. It wasn't obvious to me you have to have specific permissions. So I granted you some, hopefully, it will work.
It also looks like I will have to apply the patch (https://pagure.io/fedscm-admin/pull-request/72) or at least a very similar code to fedpkg to allow checking for the epel 9 and newer.
https://pagure.io/fedpkg/blob/master/f/fedpkg/utils.py#_332
I will wait for the approval/merge of the https://pagure.io/fedscm-admin/pull-request/72 before applying it to fedpkg.

https://pagure.io/fedscm-admin/pull-request/72 has been merged, and I've submitted https://pagure.io/fedpkg/pull-request/453 to match.

Requesting branches works now.

Just FYI, this is causing all local epel9/epel9-next mock builds to fail (mock installs fedpkg-minimal as part of it's setup packages). 

So, it would be nice to branch/build this for epel9 soon.

FTR mock already removed the package from the list, but a release of mock-core-configs was not yet made: https://github.com/rpm-software-management/mock/pull/793

FEDORA-EPEL-2022-ad29b77d82 has been submitted as an update to Fedora EPEL 9. https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-EPEL-2022-ad29b77d82

I'd like to request an epel9 branch of this package, but I do not have any permissions on this package.  Please add my FAS, carlwgeorge.

*** Bug 2039901 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

'epel9' branch created.
Update created:
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-EPEL-2022-762e2fb6ac

fedpkg-minimal is in epel9 now.
Thank You