Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:41:20 +0100 From: Mel <fbsd.questions@rachie.is-a-geek.net> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, Robert Chalmers <robert@chalmers.com.au> Subject: Re: That age old question again Message-ID: <200803170041.20549.fbsd.questions@rachie.is-a-geek.net> In-Reply-To: <8564570DC4FA43CA8BD09F427DB734C9@Avalon> References: <8564570DC4FA43CA8BD09F427DB734C9@Avalon>
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On Monday 17 March 2008 00:18:27 Robert Chalmers wrote:
> Not quite but close.
> On the front page of FreeBSD.org, is the download links for
> LATEST RELEASES
> a.. Production Release 7.0
> Which I'm assuming is the latest, and commercially useable version.
>
> Now I still find the situation of CURRENT, STABLE as they relate to RELEASE
> slightly confusing, and no amount of description seems to clear it up.
>
> Ok, I understand CURRENT is developmental, and becomes the next major
> version as stated below. So the next major version is the one on the
> website? Release 7.0 - or, 7.0-RELEASE ...yes/no?
>
> Then 7.0-STABLE continues the work to be the bugfix/security blah blah
> tree.
>
> The question I have is: For the Production Release shown above -
> 7.0-RELEASE, what is the cvsup tag to keep this version updated ??
Releases are like photos: a momentum in time.
Current and stable are moving targets, where current moves faster then stable.
As a general rule, if something comitted in -current holds up for x weeks (I
believe 3, but it ain't written in stone) and it has importance for -stable,
it will be committed to stable and end up in a the next /minor/ release for
that branch.
Development in -current ends up in the next /major/ release.
As it stands, 7 is the stable branch, 8 is the current branch and 6 is legacy
stable, 5 is pray-it-still-works ancient 'stable' and 4 is passed end-of
life.
So far so good.
Except, there's also the ability to "keep a release up to date with only
security fixes". That's what you want to use in production and the cvs tag
contains two version numbers: RELENG_7_0.
Yes, I realize many use -stable branches in production, but there is the
chance that your system is broken on reboot.
Reading through the dated entries in /usr/src/UPDATING gives you an idea what
users of -stable can deal with and make your descision accordingly.
--
Mel
Problem with today's modular software: they start with the modules
and never get to the software part.
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