diff --git a/developer/releases/version-scheme.md b/developer/releases/version-scheme.md index 84f8d1a8..f0eeb154 100644 --- a/developer/releases/version-scheme.md +++ b/developer/releases/version-scheme.md @@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ The Qubes OS Project uses the [semantic versioning](https://semver.org/) standard. Version numbers are written as `..`. When `` is zero, it is often omitted as a matter of convention, e.g., `4.1`. +In general, patch releases are for backward-compatible bug fixes, minor +releases are for backward-compatible enhancements and new features, and major +release are for any backward-incompatible changes. This means that, in general, +one should *not* try to introduce features or enhancements in patch releases or +any backward-incompatible changes in patch or minor releases. Bug fixes are +allowed in all releases, and backward-compatible changes are allowed in all +major and minor releases. + Following standard practice, **version** refers to any build that has been assigned a version name or number, e.g., `3.2-rc2`, `4.0.4`, `4.1-beta1`. By contrast, **release** refers to any version that is intended for consumption by @@ -23,51 +31,55 @@ the general userbase. For example, `4.0.4` was both a **version** and a and was intended only for [testing](/doc/testing/). All **releases** are **versions**, but not all **versions** are **releases**. -Qubes distributions and products --------------------------------- +The letter **R**, as in `R4.1` stands for **release**. The abbreviation **RC**, +as in `3.2-rc2` stands for **release candidate**. + +## Qubes distributions and products We intend to make it easy to make a remix of Qubes, targeting another hypervisor or isolation provider. We may also create commercial products intended for specific circumstances. There is one distinguished distribution -called **Qubes OS**. All source code for it is available for download under GPL -license and is openly developed on the mailing lists. The rest of this document -discusses Qubes OS. Another remix may have its own version series. +called **Qubes OS**. All source code for it is available for download under a +[free and open-source license](/doc/license/) and is openly developed on +[GitHub](https://github.com/QubesOS) and our [mailing +lists](https://www.qubes-os.org/support/). The rest of this document discusses +Qubes OS. Another remix may have its own version series. -Release version ---------------- +## Release versioning -Qubes OS as a whole is released from time to time. Version scheme for all -releases is modeled after Linux kernel version numbers. When announcing a new -release, we decide on the major.minor version (like `3.0`) and release -`3.0-rc1`. When we feel that enough progress has been made, we put `3.0-rc2` -and so on. All these versions are considered unstable and not ready for -production. You may ask for support on mailing lists (specifically -**qubes-devel**), but it is not guaranteed (you may for example get answer -“update to newer `-rc`”). Public ISO image may or may not be available. +Qubes OS as a whole is released from time to time. When preparing a new +release, we decide on the `.` numbers (e.g., `3.0`). We then +publish the first release candidate, `3.0-rc1`. When we feel that enough +progress has been made, we'll release `3.0-rc2` and so on. All these versions +(not yet releases) are considered unstable and not for production use. You are +welcome to [help us test](/doc/testing/) these versions. -When enough development has been made, we announce the first stable version, -like e.g. `3.0.0` (i.e. without `-rc`). This version is considered stable and -we support it for some period. Core components are branched at this moment and -bugfixes are backported from master branch. Please see [Help, Support, Mailing -Lists, and Forum](/support/) for places to ask questions about stable releases. No major -features and interface incompatibilities are to be included in this release. We -release bugfixes as `3.0.1`, `3.0.2` and so on, while new features come into the -next release e.g. `3.1-rcX`. +When enough progress has been made, we announce the first stable release, e.g. +`3.0.0`. This not only a version but an actual release. It is considered stable +and we commit to supporting it according to our [support +schedule](/doc/supported-releases/). Core components are branched at this +moment and bug fixes are backported from the master branch. Please see [help, +support, mailing lists, and forum](/support/) for places to ask questions about +stable releases. No major features and interface incompatibilities are to be +included in this release. We release bug fixes as patch releases (`3.0.1`, +`3.0.2`, and so on), while backward-compatible enhancements and new features +are introduced in the next minor release (e.g., `3.1`). Any +backward-incompatible changes are introduced in the next major release (e.g., +`4.0`). -Tickets in the tracker are sorted out by release major.minor, such as `3.0`, -`3.1` (trac calls this “milestone”). +Issues in our [issue tracker](/doc/issue-tracking/) are sorted by release +[milestones](/doc/issue-tracking/#milestones). -Release schedule ----------------- +## Release schedule -There is no specific schedule for major and minor other that more general +There is no specific schedule for releases other that more general roadmap. When time comes, Supreme Committee declares feature freeze and tags `-rc1` and releases ISO image. From this time on, no new features are accepted. Also a strict time schedule kicks in. Each release candidate period is as follows. For the first two weeks we accept -and assign bugreports to be fixed before next release candidate. For the next -two weeks we generally focus on fixing assigned bugreports, so issues discovered +and assign bug reports to be fixed before next release candidate. For the next +two weeks we generally focus on fixing assigned bug reports, so issues discovered during this time may be postponed until later RC. Finally after that there is one week of current-testing freeze, during which time no new packages are released, in hope that they will be installed by wider user base and tested. @@ -76,16 +88,11 @@ The next RC is released five weeks after the former. All packets are published in `current` repository and the cycle starts over. There should be no less than 1 and no more than 3 release candidates before final release. - - - - - - - - - -
stagetime
initial testing2 weeks
bug fixing2 weeks
`current-testing` freeze1 week
+| stage | time | +| ------------------------ | --------- | +| initial testing | two weeks | +| bug fixing | two weeks | +| `current-testing` freeze | one week | Starting with second cycle (that is, after `-rc1`) two weeks into the cycle (after primary bug-reporting period) the Supreme Committee decides whether there @@ -95,36 +102,38 @@ no later than a week after. !["Release cycle"](/attachment/doc/release-cycle.svg) -Bug priorities --------------- +## Bug priorities -When deciding whether the current release candidate is the final one, the Committee -takes bugs priorities into consideration. The meaning of them is as follows: +When deciding whether the current release candidate is the final one, the +Committee takes bug [priorities](/doc/issue-tracking/#priority) into +consideration. The meaning of them is as follows: -* `blocker` - when any such bug is present in the current release candidate, it -can't be considered final release. Bugs with this priority must be fixed before -the next release candidate, even if that means delaying its release (which -should be considered only last resort option). +- `blocker` --- when any such bug is present in the current release candidate, + it can't be considered final release. Bugs with this priority must be fixed + before the next release candidate, even if that means delaying its release + (which should be considered only last resort option). -* `critical` - when any such bug is present in the current release candidate, it -can't be considered final release. But such bugs are not qualified to delay -next release candidate release. +- `critical` --- when any such bug is present in the current release candidate, + it can't be considered final release. But such bugs are not qualified to + delay next release candidate release. -* `major` - existence of such bugs do not strictly prevent the current release -candidate be considered final (but of course we should try hard to not have -them there). Fixing bugs of this priority can be delayed and qualified as -updates to the final stable release. +- `major` --- existence of such bugs do not strictly prevent the current + release candidate be considered final (but of course we should try hard to + not have them there). Fixing bugs of this priority can be delayed and + qualified as updates to the final stable release. -* `minor` - existence of such bugs do not prevent the current release candidate -be considered final. Fixing such bugs can be delayed to the next Qubes OS -release. Eventually such fixes might be backported as an update to the stable -release(s). +- `default` and `minor` --- existence of such bugs do not prevent the current + release candidate be considered final. Fixing such bugs can be delayed to the + next Qubes OS release. Eventually such fixes might be backported as an update + to the stable release(s). (`default` should really be assigned a more + specific priority, but in practice there are too many issues and not enough + time, so `default` ends up staying on many issues.) All above is about bugs, no features should be assigned to the current release -after first `-rc`. Supreme Committee is free to adjust priorities appropriately. +after first `-rc`. Supreme Committee is free to adjust priorities +appropriately. -Component version ------------------ +## Component version Qubes release is defined as specific versions of components, which are developed more or less separately. Their versions are composed of major and @@ -143,24 +152,24 @@ for newer release some component should be downgraded. There is no guarantee that arbitrary combination of different versions of random components will yield usable (or even install-able) compilation. -Git tags and branches ---------------------- +## Git tags and branches We mark each component version in the repository by tag containing `v`. Likewise, each Qubes OS release is marked by `R` tag. At the release of some release we create branches named like `release2`. Only -bugfixes and compatible improvements are backported to these branches. These +bug fixes and compatible improvements are backported to these branches. These branches should compile. All new development is done in `master` branch. This branch is totally unsupported and may not even compile depending on maintainer of repository. All version and release tags should be made and signed by someone from ITL staff. Public keys are included in `qubes-builder` and available at -[https://keys.qubes-os.org/keys/](https://keys.qubes-os.org/keys/). +. -Check installed version ------------------ +## Check installed version -If you want to know which version you are running, for example to report -an issue, you can either check in the Qubes Manager menu under About / Qubes OS or in the file /etc/qubes-release in dom0. For the latter you can use a command like `cat /etc/qubes-release` in a dom0 terminal. +If you want to know which version you are running, for example to report an +issue, you can either check in the Qubes Manager menu under `About > Qubes OS` +or in the file `/etc/qubes-release` in dom0. For the latter you can use a +command like `cat /etc/qubes-release` in a dom0 terminal.