From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Mar 16 23:41:23 2008 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 18CC0106566C for ; Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:41:23 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsd.questions@rachie.is-a-geek.net) Received: from snoogles.rachie.is-a-geek.net (rachie.is-a-geek.net [66.230.99.27]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D2C678FC20 for ; Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:41:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsd.questions@rachie.is-a-geek.net) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by snoogles.rachie.is-a-geek.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id DCCEB1CD18; Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:41:21 -0800 (AKDT) From: Mel To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, Robert Chalmers Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:41:20 +0100 User-Agent: KMail/1.9.7 References: <8564570DC4FA43CA8BD09F427DB734C9@Avalon> In-Reply-To: <8564570DC4FA43CA8BD09F427DB734C9@Avalon> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200803170041.20549.fbsd.questions@rachie.is-a-geek.net> Cc: Subject: Re: That age old question again 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: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:41:23 -0000 On Monday 17 March 2008 00:18:27 Robert Chalmers wrote: > Not quite but close. > On the front page of FreeBSD.org, is the download links for > LATEST RELEASES > a.. Production Release 7.0 > Which I'm assuming is the latest, and commercially useable version. > > Now I still find the situation of CURRENT, STABLE as they relate to RELEASE > slightly confusing, and no amount of description seems to clear it up. > > Ok, I understand CURRENT is developmental, and becomes the next major > version as stated below. So the next major version is the one on the > website? Release 7.0 - or, 7.0-RELEASE ...yes/no? > > Then 7.0-STABLE continues the work to be the bugfix/security blah blah > tree. > > The question I have is: For the Production Release shown above - > 7.0-RELEASE, what is the cvsup tag to keep this version updated ?? Releases are like photos: a momentum in time. Current and stable are moving targets, where current moves faster then stable. As a general rule, if something comitted in -current holds up for x weeks (I believe 3, but it ain't written in stone) and it has importance for -stable, it will be committed to stable and end up in a the next /minor/ release for that branch. Development in -current ends up in the next /major/ release. As it stands, 7 is the stable branch, 8 is the current branch and 6 is legacy stable, 5 is pray-it-still-works ancient 'stable' and 4 is passed end-of life. So far so good. Except, there's also the ability to "keep a release up to date with only security fixes". That's what you want to use in production and the cvs tag contains two version numbers: RELENG_7_0. Yes, I realize many use -stable branches in production, but there is the chance that your system is broken on reboot. Reading through the dated entries in /usr/src/UPDATING gives you an idea what users of -stable can deal with and make your descision accordingly. -- Mel Problem with today's modular software: they start with the modules and never get to the software part.