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179 lines
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179 lines
8.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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lang: en
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layout: doc
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permalink: /doc/version-scheme/
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redirect_from:
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- /en/doc/version-scheme/
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- /doc/VersionScheme/
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- /wiki/VersionScheme/
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ref: 151
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title: Version scheme
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---
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The Qubes OS Project uses the [semantic versioning](https://semver.org/)
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standard. Version numbers are written as `<major>.<minor>.<patch>`. When
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`<patch>` is zero, it is often omitted as a matter of convention, e.g., `4.1` is
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short for `4.1.0`.
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In general, patch releases are for backward-compatible bug fixes, minor
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releases are for backward-compatible enhancements and new features, and major
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release are for any backward-incompatible changes. This means that, in general,
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one should *not* try to introduce features or enhancements in patch releases or
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any backward-incompatible changes in patch or minor releases. (Templates are a
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notable exception, as upstream OSes almost always have their own release
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schedules.) Bug fixes are allowed in all releases, and backward-compatible
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changes are allowed in all major and minor releases.
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Following standard practice, **version** refers to any build that has been
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assigned a version name or number, e.g., `3.2-rc2`, `4.0.4`, `4.1-beta1`. By
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contrast, **release** refers to any version that is intended for consumption by
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the general userbase. For example, `4.0.4` was both a **version** and a
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**release**, since it was stable and intended for general public use, while
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`4.1-beta1` was a **version** but *not* a **release**, since it was not stable
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and was intended only for [testing](/doc/testing/). All releases are
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versions, but not all versions are releases.
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The letter **R**, as in `R4.1`, stands for **release**. The abbreviation **RC**,
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as in `3.2-rc2`, stands for **release candidate**.
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## Qubes distributions and products
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We intend to make it easy to make a remix of Qubes, targeting another
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hypervisor or isolation provider. We may also create commercial products
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intended for specific circumstances. There is one distinguished distribution
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called **Qubes OS**. All source code for it is available for download under a
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[free and open-source license](/doc/license/) and is openly developed on
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[GitHub](https://github.com/QubesOS) and our [mailing
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lists](https://www.qubes-os.org/support/). The rest of this document discusses
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Qubes OS. Another remix may have its own version series.
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## Release versioning
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Qubes OS as a whole is released from time to time. When preparing a new
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release, we decide on the `<major>.<minor>` numbers (e.g., `3.0`). We then
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publish the first release candidate, `3.0-rc1`. When we feel that enough
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progress has been made, we'll release `3.0-rc2` and so on. All these versions
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(not yet releases) are considered unstable and not for production use. You are
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welcome to [help us test](/doc/testing/) these versions.
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When enough progress has been made, we announce the first stable release, e.g.
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`3.0.0`. This not only a version but an actual release. It is considered stable
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and we commit to supporting it according to our [support
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schedule](/doc/supported-releases/). Core components are branched at this
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moment and bug fixes are backported from the master branch. Please see [help,
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support, mailing lists, and forum](/support/) for places to ask questions about
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stable releases. No major features and interface incompatibilities are to be
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included in this release. We release bug fixes as patch releases (`3.0.1`,
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`3.0.2`, and so on), while backward-compatible enhancements and new features
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are introduced in the next minor release (e.g., `3.1`). Any
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backward-incompatible changes are introduced in the next major release (e.g.,
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`4.0`).
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Issues in our [issue tracker](/doc/issue-tracking/) are sorted by release
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[milestones](/doc/issue-tracking/#milestones).
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## Release schedule
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There is no specific schedule for releases other that more general roadmap.
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When time comes, Supreme Committee declares feature freeze and tags `-rc1` and
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releases ISO image. From this time on, no new features are accepted. Also a
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strict time schedule kicks in.
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Each release candidate period is as follows. For the first two weeks we accept
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and assign bug reports to be fixed before next release candidate. For the next
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two weeks we generally focus on fixing assigned bug reports, so issues
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discovered during this time may be postponed until later RC. Finally after that
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there is one week of current-testing freeze, during which time no new packages
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are released, in hope that they will be installed by wider user base and
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tested.
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The next RC is released five weeks after the former. All packets are published
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in `current` repository and the cycle starts over. There should be no less than
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1 and no more than 3 release candidates before final release.
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| Stage | Duration |
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| ------------------------ | --------- |
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| initial testing | two weeks |
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| bug fixing | two weeks |
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| `current-testing` freeze | one week |
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Starting with second cycle (that is, after `-rc1`) two weeks into the cycle
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(after primary bug-reporting period) the Supreme Committee decides whether
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there should be another RC. If, based on remaining issues, the Committee
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decides to release final, then the Committee agrees upon the release date,
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which should be no later than a week after.
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[](/attachment/doc/release-cycle.svg)
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## Bug priorities
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When deciding whether the current release candidate is the final one, the
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Committee takes bug [priorities](/doc/issue-tracking/#priority) into
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consideration. The meaning of them is as follows:
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- `blocker` --- when any such bug is present in the current release candidate,
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it can't be considered final release. Bugs with this priority must be fixed
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before the next release candidate, even if that means delaying its release
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(which should be considered only last resort option).
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- `critical` --- when any such bug is present in the current release candidate,
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it can't be considered final release. But such bugs are not qualified to
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delay next release candidate release.
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- `major` --- existence of such bugs do not strictly prevent the current
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release candidate be considered final (but of course we should try hard to
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not have them there). Fixing bugs of this priority can be delayed and
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qualified as updates to the final stable release.
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- `default` and `minor` --- existence of such bugs do not prevent the current
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release candidate be considered final. Fixing such bugs can be delayed to the
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next Qubes OS release. Eventually such fixes might be backported as an update
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to the stable release(s). (`default` should really be assigned a more
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specific priority, but in practice there are too many issues and not enough
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time, so `default` ends up staying on many issues.)
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All above is about bugs, no features should be assigned to the current release
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after first `-rc`. Supreme Committee is free to adjust priorities
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appropriately.
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## Component version
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Qubes release is defined as specific versions of components, which are
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developed more or less separately. Their versions are composed of major and
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minor version of target Qubes OS release followed by third component which is
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just incremented. There is no apparent indication that given version is stable
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or not.
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There are some non-essential components like `qubes-apps-*` that are shared
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between releases. Their versions indicate oldest qubes-release that is
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supported. We try hard to support multiple releases by one branch to ease code
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maintenance.
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Different Qubes releases remixes may comprise of different components and
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version are not guaranteed to be monotonic between releases. We may decide that
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for newer release some component should be downgraded. There is no guarantee
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that arbitrary combination of different versions of random components will
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yield usable (or even install-able) compilation.
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## Git tags and branches
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We mark each component version in the repository by tag containing
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`v<version>`. Likewise, each Qubes OS release is marked by `R<release>` tag.
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At the release of some release we create branches named like `release2`. Only
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bug fixes and compatible improvements are backported to these branches. These
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branches should compile. All new development is done in `master` branch. This
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branch is totally unsupported and may not even compile depending on maintainer
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of repository.
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All version and release tags should be made and signed by someone from ITL
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staff. Public keys are included in `qubes-builder` and available at
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<https://keys.qubes-os.org/keys/>.
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## Check installed version
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If you want to know which version you are running, for example to report an
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issue, you can either check in the Qubes Manager menu under `About > Qubes OS`
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or in the file `/etc/qubes-release` in dom0. For the latter you can use a
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command like `cat /etc/qubes-release` in a dom0 terminal.
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