Update the FAQ to be closer to reality about -RC and -PRERELEASE

versions (but retain a note about the older -BETA).  Change the example
to a more recent release where -PRERELEASE was actually used.  Finally,
add a reference to the release engineering article.

Suggested by:	jedgar
This commit is contained in:
Bruce A. Mah 2002-05-02 23:43:50 +00:00
parent 358d5d48e3
commit dc4ca7362a
Notes: svn2git 2020-12-08 03:00:23 +00:00
svn path=/head/; revision=12940

View file

@ -7125,14 +7125,16 @@ define(`confDELIVERY_MODE',`deferred')dnl</programlisting>
<qandaentry>
<question id="release-candidate">
<para>I tried to update my system to the latest -STABLE, but
got -RC or -BETA! What is going on?</para>
got -RC or -PRERELEASE! What is going on?</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>Short answer: it is just a name. RC stands for
<quote>Release Candidate</quote>. It signifies that a
release is imminent. In FreeBSD, -BETA is typically synonymous
with the code freeze before a release.</para>
release is imminent. In FreeBSD, -PRERELEASE is typically synonymous
with the code freeze before a release. (For some
releases, the -BETA label was used in the same way as
-PRERELEASE.)</para>
<para>Long answer: FreeBSD derives its releases from one of
two places. Major, dot-zero, releases, such as
@ -7150,16 +7152,21 @@ define(`confDELIVERY_MODE',`deferred')dnl</programlisting>
process. Part of this process is a code freeze. When a
code freeze is initiated, the name of the branch is
changed to reflect that it is about to become a release.
For example, if the branch used to be called 4.0-STABLE,
its name will be changed to 4.1-BETA to signify the code
For example, if the branch used to be called 4.5-STABLE,
its name will be changed to 4.6-PRERELEASE to signify the code
freeze and signify that extra pre-release testing should
be happening. Bug fixes can still be committed to be part
of the release. When the source code is in shape for the
release the name will be changed to 4.1-RC to signify that a
release the name will be changed to 4.6-RC to signify that a
release is about to be made from it. Once in the RC stage,
only the most critical bugs found can be fixed.
Once the release, 4.1-RELEASE in this example, has been made,
the branch will be renamed to 4.1-STABLE.</para>
Once the release (4.6-RELEASE in this example) and release branch have been made,
the branch will be renamed to 4.6-STABLE.</para>
<para>For more information on version numbers and the
various CVS branches, refer the
<ulink url="../../articles/releng/article.html">Release
Engineering</ulink> article.</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>