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Date:      Wed, 26 Feb 2014 09:19:07 -0700
From:      Joe <j.harman@f5.com>
To:        Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-lists@be-well.ilk.org>
Cc:        freebsd-doc@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: how to read security advisories
Message-ID:  <etPan.530e13fb.3006c83e.302e@shiny.int.lineratesystems.com>
In-Reply-To: <44fvn64qaf.fsf@lowell-desk.lan>
References:  <etPan.530d0f9a.6b8b4567.3ab2@shiny.int.lineratesystems.com> <44fvn64qaf.fsf@lowell-desk.lan>

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Thank you for pointing me at some relevant docs.

I'd like to point out that neither of these resources are of much help fo=
r someone trying to figure out what the -p means, though.

The first is only something you'd come across if you already knew what th=
e -p meant (try searching -p on the internet. =C2=A0Or =46reeBSD's site. =
=C2=A0Or even in the single-page HTML view of the handbook).

The second would actually confuse me if I hadn't already been definitivel=
y told what the -p was, as the example given is =224.6.2-RELEASE=22 inste=
ad of =224.6-RELEASE-p2=22.

I searched both on google and on =46reeBSD's site for:
=C2=A0- freebsd release
=C2=A0- freebsd version string
=C2=A0- freebsd release p modifier
=C2=A0- freebsd release tags
=C2=A0- freebsd security advisory release naming

The last one got me the closest, but still didn't actually inform me that=
 the -p extension was for patch level, or how to check what patch level I=
 had (which is pretty important if you're trying to figure out if a secur=
ity advisory applies to a particular system or not).=C2=A0

I tried following through on that, but searching for =22security branch=22=
 or =22security branch tags=22 got me to=C2=A0http://www.freebsd.org/rele=
ng/ which at the bottom points me to=C2=A0http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en=5F=
US.ISO8859-1/articles/releng/index.html which looks like it is just about=
 the release process, not naming, and has a very loud warning at the top =
about how badly out of date it is.

I'm not trying to get in anyone's face or ruffle any feathers, so much as=
 to let you know that I spent longer than I thought was reasonable lookin=
g for a definitive answer for this question, and I think it both could an=
d should be made more obvious in the =46reeBSD documentation. =C2=A0I thi=
nk good places for this would be in the second reference you gave me (rel=
ease-branches.html) and in the =22how to read security advisories=22 docu=
ment.

I do very much appreciate both the responses I've gotten and speed at whi=
ch I got them. =C2=A0I am also very appreciative of all the documentation=
 in general=21

Thanks,

-Joe

On =46ebruary 25, 2014 at 6:27:13 PM, Lowell Gilbert (freebsd-lists=40be-=
well.ilk.org) wrote:

Joe <j.harman=40f5.com> writes: =20

> I understand what 5.1-RELEASE means, but I cannot find references for w=
hat the tailing =22-p6=22 means. =20

Try the note at the end of =20
http://www5.us.freebsd.org/doc/en=5FUS.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/updating-=
upgrading-freebsdupdate.html=23freebsdupdate-security-patches =20
or the last paragraph in =20
http://www5.us.freebsd.org/doc/en=5FUS.ISO8859-1/books/dev-model/release-=
branches.html =20



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