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.