From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Feb 23 23:48:49 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 65D801065703 for ; Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:48:49 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from prad@towardsfreedom.com) Received: from idcmail-mo2no.shaw.ca (idcmail-mo2no.shaw.ca [64.59.134.9]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3BAAB8FC19 for ; Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:48:49 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from prad@towardsfreedom.com) Received: from pd7ml1no-ssvc.prod.shaw.ca ([10.0.153.161]) by pd7mo1no-svcs.prod.shaw.ca with ESMTP; 23 Feb 2009 16:48:48 -0700 X-Cloudmark-SP-Filtered: true X-Cloudmark-SP-Result: v=1.0 c=0 a=KoDPwd6_AAAA:8 a=5eXCORud1-eMdhqrNXsA:9 a=5W37rgFHyeJ-4vDLxABBdb3A6s8A:4 a=SjxaabegXJsA:10 a=fcPIooWEXsQA:10 Received: from s0106000d935c7902.du.shawcable.net (HELO gom.home) ([70.67.160.177]) by pd7ml1no-dmz.prod.shaw.ca with ESMTP; 23 Feb 2009 16:48:48 -0700 Received: from gom.home (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by gom.home (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1C28117060 for ; Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:48:48 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:48:47 -0800 From: prad To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20090223154847.39df6edc@gom.home> In-Reply-To: <87d4d8rd5g.fsf@kobe.laptop> References: <20090223142559.3c5ff9e9@gom.home> <87d4d8rd5g.fsf@kobe.laptop> X-Mailer: Claws Mail 3.3.1 (GTK+ 2.12.1; i386-portbld-freebsd7.0) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: understanding freebsd development logic X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:48:49 -0000 On Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:39:39 +0200 Giorgos Keramidas wrote: > The thesis of Niklas Saers is a bit dated now, but it is a wonderful > document and it answers this question (including a few others too). > > I think it will be an interesting read for you: > most certainly!! i've been going through it quickly and it is really fascinating to see the historical structure and the development models. specifically, this would seem to answer much: "The project provides multiple versions of FreeBSD intended for audiences with different priorities between the newest features and rock solid stability and security. This means that the newest minor release or updates along a security branch are already old in terms of being well tested when they are released." and coordinates well with things some of the other posters to this thread have written. i rather like this approach because it doesn't let the old stuff just die (in fact, we just installed 4.4 on some of our machines) and the idea of backporting is really quite a remarkable concept. i will look at niklas' thesis in greater detail over the next few days, so thank you very much for drawing my attention to it. -- In friendship, prad ... with you on your journey Towards Freedom http://www.towardsfreedom.com (website) Information, Inspiration, Imagination - truly a site for soaring I's