Release plan: Difference between revisions

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The '''release plan''' is the process by which a new version of [[FlightGear]] is released. The release plan is actually a continual work-in-progress, and is refined with every new release.
The '''release plan''' is the process by which a new version of [[FlightGear]] is released. The release plan is actually a continual work-in-progress, and is refined with every new release.


[[File:ReleasePlan.jpg|thumb|250px|The original plan]]
[[File:ReleasePlan.jpg|thumb|250px|The original release plan.]]
The current release plan was originally developed by Mathias Fröhlich, Martin Spott, Thorsten Brehm and Torsten Dreyer during LinuxTag 2011.
FlightGear has had two release plans over [[FlightGear History|history]]. The original release plan was developed by Mathias Fröhlich, Martin Spott, Thorsten Brehm and Torsten Dreyer during LinuxTag 2011.


If you think you have something to contribute to the release process, feel free to <span class="plainlinks">[{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=edit}} edit this page]</span>. In particular, improvements should be based on [[Release plan/Lessons learned|lesson learned]] from past releases. Please discuss this concept on the [[mailing list]].
To suggest improvements and/or changes to the release plan, it is recommended to get in touch via the [[mailing list]]. Improvements can be based on the [[Release plan/Lessons learned|lessons learned]] from previous releases.


== General release concept ==
== General release concept (old release plan) ==
New FlightGear releases are scheduled twice a year. The magic number to remember is 17. On the 17th of January (the first month) and July (the seventh month), a new release branch is created for [[SimGear]], the FlightGear source, and [[fgdata]].  
New FlightGear releases are scheduled twice a year. The magic number to remember is 17. On the 17th of January (the first month) and July (the seventh month), a new release branch is created for [[SimGear]], the FlightGear source, and [[fgdata]].  


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== Version numbers ==
== Version numbers ==
FlightGear version numbers consist of three digits, seperated by dots:
{{WIP}}
* '''Major''' (<u>2</u>.4.1): is only increased after significant changes to the functionality of the software, i.e. 1.X.X => 2.0.0 (due to switch to OSG).
FlightGear version numbers consist of three digits, separated by dots:
* '''Minor''' (2.<u>4</u>.1): has two applications:
** '''Stable releases''' always have ''even numbers'', i.e. 2.6.0, 2.8.0, 3.0.0.
** The '''development stream''' (''latest Git version'') uses an ''odd number'', increasing the minor number of the latest stable release's version by one. I.e., when the latest release was 2.8.0, the current development stream is 2.9.0.
* '''Revision''' (2.4.<u>1</u>): is increased by bugfix releases, i.e. 2.8.1, 2.8.2, 2.8.3.


When referring to a major release in general, only the first two digits should be used, i.e. 2.6 refers to 2.6.0, 2.6.1 etc.
=== Before 2016.1 ===
* '''Major''' (<u>2</u>.4.1): Only increased after significant changes to the functionality of the software (e.g., 1.x.x → 2.0.0 (due to switch to [[OSG]]).
* '''Minor''' (2.<u>4</u>.1): Has two applications:
** '''Stable releases''' always have ''even numbers'' (e.g. 2.6.0, 2.8.0, 2.10.0).
** The '''development stream''' (''latest Git version'') uses an ''odd number'', always one more than the latest stable release's minor revision numbere. For example, when the latest release was 3.4.0, the current development stream was 3.5.0.
* '''Revision''' (2.4.<u>1</u>): Increased by bugfix releases (e.g., 2.12.1).
 
=== 2016.1 and after ===
* '''Release year''' (<u>2016</u>.1.0): The year the version was released.
* '''Release number''' (2016.<u>1</u>.0): Which release of the year the version is (note: starts at 1).
* '''Revision''' (2016.1.<u>0</u>): Indicates one of three things:
** When a release branch is initially createdIncreased by bugfix releases (e.g., 2.12.1).
 
{{note|In general, release are referred to by their first two digits (e.g., 3.4). However, when filing a bug report or debugging problems, it is a good idea to give the full release number.}}


== Detailed time schedule and checklist ==
== Detailed time schedule and checklist ==