Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 01:08:41 -0800 (PST) From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com> To: announce@freebsd.org Subject: FreeBSD branch changes. Message-ID: <199611040908.BAA00352@time.cdrom.com>
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Lieber FreeBSD user, This is a public-service announcement for those who keep an eye on our development process but do not subscribe to the hackers@FreeBSD.ORG mailing list (a very high-volume list, so this is understandable). FreeBSD's development stream has, as of November 3rd, branched into the 2.2-RELEASE and 3.0-CURRENT development streams. The 2.1-STABLE branch is also still alive, soon to terminate (for real, this time) with the impending release of FreeBSD 2.1.6. This branch has occurred so that 2.2 may be readied for release without impacting significant new developments, like SMP support, in the mainstream -current branch. As this implies, the release of 2.2 is also imminent. Here, modulo any of the usual two-week slips here and there, is our release schedule for 96/97: December 1996: FreeBSD 2.1.6 RELEASE. End of 2.1-STABLE branch. January 1997: FreeBSD 2.2 RELEASE. Beginning of 2.2-STABLE. Spring 1997: FreeBSD 2.2.x RELEASE. Bugfix release for 2.2R This is also probably as good a time as any to announce that new XFree86 3.2 binaries, with early Matrox support, are available at ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/XFree86/2.2-CURRENT/XF8632/ Thanks to the XFree86 project for the timely binaries, which will be distributed with 2.2-RELEASE (2.1.6 binaries are still pending but should be available before that release). Lest there be any confusion about the 2.1.6 and 2.2 releases coming so close together, let me also just explain that the two branches of development had really very little to do with one another, and the fact that both branches came to release status around the same time was simply how the scheduling worked out. When engineering is allowed to do the scheduling, it rarely employs traditional marketing strategems. :) In summary: 2.1.6-RELEASE is aimed squarely at commercial users who don't need to be on the leading edge of development but favor things like stability and a long test-cycle instead. 2.1-STABLE has had only incremental refinements made to it since 2.1.5 was released, and 2.1.6 will end what we feel to have been a very successful branch. 2.2-RELEASE will begin introducing the more leading edge technologies we've been developing over the year that -stable has run in parallel, and will also be entering bug-fix mode after its release. Existing -stable customers will be encouraged to make the jump to 2.2-STABLE some time after 2.2's release, once the first round of customer PRs have come back and been acted on. 3.0-CURRENT is now the bleeding edge of development, and where all new development takes place. Until code freeze on the 10th of November, changes may also be marked "For 2.2-RELEASE" and they will be brought into that branch as necessary. After code freeze, it will have to be a clearly important bug fix to make it in before the release date. Many significant changes are planned for 3.0, and those interested in its development should subscribe to the freebsd-current mailing list (send mail to majordomo@freebsd.org). As always, *all* branches of FreeBSD development are available from a single CVS repository which may be freely replicated to your own machine (see http://www.freebsd.org/handbook) or browsed via the web at http://www.freebsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb Please don't hesitate to use this valuable resource! As always, Jordan for The FreeBSD Core Team.
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