Release vs Stable vs Current

[Jerry McAllister]

> 
> Ansar Mohammed wrote:
> > Has the terminology for "production ready" FreeBSD changed?
> >  
> > Is FreeBSD Release now considered Stable?
> 
> I don't think so, no. "Stable" refers to the branch of development from 
> which Production releases are made. Right now that is the FreeBSD 6 
> branch. Future point releases of FreeBSD 6 will be made from the Stable 
> branch until the time that FreeBSD 6 becomes a legacy release.

Unfortunately, I think the word "stable" is getting used in a different
way in the question and the answer.

Releases are stable in the generic sense of the word - they are 
thought to be reliable and fixed in to a particular condition, not
fluctuating with development.

But STABLE as a "version" I think really means a particular snapshot
along the way.    Things are not necessarily frozen in to a version
for that particular snapshot.   It is kind of up to you to make sure
all the ports and such that you need work with it.

It becomes a RELEASE when a particular stable snapshot is fixed as a 
release and everything frozen long enough to get it all brought to that
specific working version.

So, in a sense RELEASE is more stable than STABLE.  Or, at least, it
is more complete.

This may be fudging the explanation a little.   Someone else might be
able to correct it or make a better explanation.

////jerry

> 
> - Sam
> _______________________________________________
> freebsd-questions at freebsd.org mailing list
> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions
> To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe at freebsd.org"
>