<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN" "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.4/docbookx.dtd"> <article> <!--$Id$--> <articleinfo> <title>Shorewall Release Model</title> <authorgroup> <author> <firstname>Tom</firstname> <surname>Eastep</surname> </author> </authorgroup> <pubdate><?dbtimestamp format="Y/m/d"?></pubdate> <copyright> <year>2011</year> <holder>Thomas M. Eastep</holder> </copyright> <legalnotice> <para>Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover, and with no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled <quote><ulink url="GnuCopyright.htm">GNU Free Documentation License</ulink></quote>.</para> </legalnotice> </articleinfo> <section> <title>Identification</title> <para>Shorewall releases are identified by three numbers separated by periods (e.g., 4.4.16). The first two digits (e.g., 4.4) specify the <firstterm>major release number</firstterm>. The third numbere (e.g., 16) is the <firstterm>minor release number</firstterm>.</para> </section> <section> <title>Release Schedule</title> <para>Traditionally, major releases have occurred roughly every two years, but as Shorewall has matured, new enhancements are routinely released in minor releases. Minor releases occur every 4 to 6 weeks.</para> <para>If a defect is discovered in a minor release for which there is no easy workaround or which can affect a large number of users, a <firstterm>bug-fix</firstterm> or <firstterm>point</firstterm> release is made.</para> <para>New minor and point releases are announced on the <ulink url="https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shorewall-announce">Shorewall Announcements mailing list</ulink> and on the <ulink url="https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shorewall-users">Shorewall Users mailing list</ulink>. Current release information is also available on the <ulink url="http://shorewall.net">Shorewall Home Page</ulink>.</para> </section> <section> <title>Beta Releases and Release Candidates</title> <para>Beta releases have their three-number identifaction follow by "-Beta<emphasis>N</emphasis>" (e.g., 4.4.17-Beta3). Beta releases are made approximately weekly and are announced on the <ulink url="https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shorewall-devel">Shorewall Development mailing list</ulink> and on the <ulink url="https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shorewall-users">Shorewall Users mailing list</ulink>.</para> <para>At the point where the new features in a release are frozen, the Beta releases give way to <firstterm>release candidates</firstterm>. These have the three-number identification followed by "-RC<emphasis>N</emphasis>" (e.g., 4.4.17-RC1). They are announced in the same way as the betas.</para> </section> </article>