CFD: changes to the FAQ to reflect creation of 5-STABLE

Mark Linimon linimon at lonesome.com
Wed Oct 20 04:03:54 UTC 2004


It was with a complete lack of delight that I noticed earlier tonight
that the FAQ had not yet been modified for the creation of 5-STABLE,
leading to my creation of a set of patches.  In a couple of places
I have left notes about what has to change exactly when 5.3-RELEASE
is made (one existed already), but IMHO we should go ahead and commit
something based on the following changes ASAP, even if it means
fiddling with the tags.  (You may now all groan in chorus.  After
making these patches, I have already done my share tonight).

I made my best effort to get the facts and the wording right but I
doubt it's 100%.  Please provide feedback.

And no, I do not wish to open the can of worms about deleting all
the pre-4.X information.  I will have to go get more cans of paint
to create that patch ...

mcl

Index: book.sgml
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/FreeBSD/dcvs/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml,v
retrieving revision 1.644
diff -u -r1.644 book.sgml
--- book.sgml	4 Sep 2004 18:13:26 -0000	1.644
+++ book.sgml	20 Oct 2004 03:51:29 -0000
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 <book>
   <bookinfo>
-    <title>Frequently Asked Questions for FreeBSD 2.X, 3.X, 4.X and 5.X</title>
+    <title>Frequently Asked Questions for FreeBSD 2.X, 3.X, 4.X, 5.X, and 6.X</title>
 
     <corpauthor>The FreeBSD Documentation Project</corpauthor>
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
     </legalnotice>
 
     <abstract>
-      <para>This is the FAQ for FreeBSD versions 2.X, 3.X, 4.X and 5.X.
+      <para>This is the FAQ for FreeBSD versions 2.X, 3.X, 4.X, 5.X, and 6.X.
         All entries are assumed to be relevant to FreeBSD 2.0.5 and
         later, unless otherwise noted.  If you are interested in
         helping with this project, send email to the &a.doc;.  The
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
   <chapter id="introduction">
     <title>Introduction</title>
 
-    <para>Welcome to the FreeBSD 2.X-5.X FAQ!</para>
+    <para>Welcome to the FreeBSD 2.X-6.X FAQ!</para>
 
     <para>As is usual with Usenet FAQs, this document aims to cover the
       most frequently asked questions concerning the FreeBSD operating
@@ -277,17 +277,29 @@
         </question>
 
 <!--
-  This answer is a hack to deal with the fact that for now there are two
-  "latest" versions of FreeBSD.
+  This answer is a hack to deal with the fact that for now there are
+  multiple "latest" versions of FreeBSD.
 -->
 
         <answer>
-	  <para>At this point in FreeBSD's development, there are two
+	  <para>At this point in FreeBSD's development, there are three
 	    parallel development branches; releases are being made from
-	    both branches.  The 4.X series of releases
-	    is being made from the <emphasis>-STABLE</emphasis> branch
+	    two of the three branches.  The 4.X series of releases
+	    is being made from the <emphasis>4-STABLE</emphasis> branch
 	    and the 5.X series of releases is being made from
-	    <emphasis>-CURRENT</emphasis>.</para>
+	    <emphasis>5-STABLE</emphasis>.  It will be some time yet
+	    before any releases are made from the
+	    <emphasis>6-CURRENT</emphasis> branch.</para>
+
+<!-- at 5.3-RELEASE, s/will be/has been/ -->
+	  <para>Up until the release of 5.3, the 4.X series was the
+	    one known as <emphasis>-STABLE</emphasis>.  However,
+	    as of 5.3, 5.X will be designated the new
+	    <emphasis>-STABLE</emphasis> and 4.X will no longer see
+	    much new development.  Instead, it will be designated
+	    for an "extended support" status and receive
+	    only fixes for major problems (such as security-related
+	    fixes.)</para>
 
           <para>Version <ulink
             url="ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/i386/&rel.current;-RELEASE/">&rel.current;</ulink>
@@ -420,9 +432,9 @@
             only well-tested bug fixes and other small incremental
             enhancements.  FreeBSD-CURRENT, on the other hand, has
             been one unbroken line since 2.0 was released, leading
-            towards 5.2.1-RELEASE (and beyond).  At 5.3-RELEASE, the
-            5-STABLE branch is expected to be created, and
-            &os.current; will become 6-CURRENT.  More detail information,
+            towards 5.3-RELEASE (and beyond).  Just before 5.3-RELEASE, the
+            5-STABLE branch was created, and
+            &os.current; became 6-CURRENT.  More detail information,
             see <quote><ulink url="&url.articles.releng;/release-proc.html">
 		FreeBSD Release Engineering:
 		2.2.1 Creating the Release Branch</ulink></quote>.</para>
@@ -431,7 +443,9 @@
             The 3-STABLE branch has ended with the release of 3.5.1, the
             final 3.X release.  The only changes made to either of these
             branches will be, for the most part, security-related bug
-            fixes.</para>
+            fixes.  Support for the 4-STABLE branch will continue
+	    for some time but focus primarily on security-related bug
+	    fixes and other serious issues.</para>
 
 <!-- temporarily commented out until 5.3R is released -->
 <!--
@@ -512,7 +526,7 @@
 
           <itemizedlist>
             <listitem>
-              <para>The latest 5.X release, &rel.current;-RELEASE can be
+              <para>The latest release, &rel.current;-RELEASE can be
                 found in the <ulink
                 url="ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/i386/&rel.current;-RELEASE/">&rel.current;-RELEASE directory</ulink>.</para>
             </listitem>
@@ -520,21 +534,22 @@
             <listitem>
               <para><ulink
                 url="ftp://current.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/">
-                5.X Snapshot</ulink> releases are made daily for the
+                Snapshot</ulink> releases are made daily for the
                 <link linkend="current">-CURRENT</link> branch, these being
                 of service purely to bleeding-edge testers and
                 developers.</para>
             </listitem>
 
+<!-- change -CURRENT to -STABLE on 5.3R -->
             <listitem>
-              <para>The latest 4-STABLE release, &rel2.current;-RELEASE can be
+              <para>The latest 5-CURRENT release, &rel2.current;-RELEASE can be
                 found in the <ulink
                 url="ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/i386/&rel2.current;-RELEASE/">&rel2.current;-RELEASE directory</ulink>.</para>
             </listitem>
 
             <listitem>
               <para><ulink
-                url="ftp://current.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/snapshots/">4.X
+                url="ftp://current.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/snapshots/">5.X
                 snapshots</ulink> are usually made daily.</para>
             </listitem>
           </itemizedlist>
@@ -4393,7 +4408,7 @@
               2003</attribution>
 
             <para>These warnings are generated by Witness, a run-time lock
-              diagnostic system found in FreeBSD 5-CURRENT kernels (but
+              diagnostic system found in FreeBSD -CURRENT kernels (but
               removed in releases).  You can read more about Witness in the
               &man.witness.4; man page, which talks about its capabilities.  Among
               other things, Witness performs run-time lock order verification
@@ -4803,7 +4818,7 @@
             linkend="mailing">mailing list</link> for periodic updates
             on new entries.</para>
 
-          <para>Most ports should work on the 4.X and 5.X branches.
+          <para>Most ports should work on the 4.X, 5.X, and 6.X branches.
             Each time a FreeBSD release is made, a snapshot of the
             ports tree at the time of release in also included in the
             <filename>ports/</filename> directory.</para>
@@ -4840,13 +4855,22 @@
               </varlistentry>
 
               <varlistentry>
-                <term>for 5.X-CURRENT</term>
+                <term>for 5.X-RELEASE/5-STABLE</term>
                 <listitem>
                   <para><ulink
                     url="ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current/">
                     ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current</ulink></para>
                 </listitem>
               </varlistentry>
+
+              <varlistentry>
+                <term>for 6-CURRENT</term>
+                <listitem>
+                  <para><ulink
+                    url="ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-6-current/">
+                    ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-6-current</ulink></para>
+                </listitem>
+              </varlistentry>
             </variablelist>
 
           <para>or your nearest local mirror site.</para>
@@ -6746,7 +6770,7 @@
 	</question>
 
 	<answer>
-	  <para>FreeBSD 5.X uses the &man.devfs.8; device-on-demand
+	  <para>FreeBSD 5.X and beyond use the &man.devfs.8; device-on-demand
 	    system.  Device drivers automatically create new device
 	    nodes as they are needed, obsoleting
 	    <filename>/dev/MAKEDEV</filename>.</para>
@@ -6860,7 +6884,7 @@
       <qandaentry>
         <question id="release-candidate">
           <para>I tried to update my system to the latest -STABLE, but
-            got -RC or -PRERELEASE!  What is going on?</para>
+            got -BETAx, -RC or -PRERELEASE!  What is going on?</para>
         </question>
 
         <answer>
@@ -7771,7 +7795,7 @@
 &prompt.root; <userinput>sh MAKEDEV vty12</userinput></screen>
 
 	  <note>
-	    <para>On FreeBSD 5.X you do not have to create devices
+	    <para>On FreeBSD 5.X and beyond you do not have to create devices
 	      manually if you are using <literal>DEVFS</literal>,
 	      since the proper device nodes will be automatically
 	      created under <filename
@@ -11783,19 +11807,19 @@
 
             <itemizedlist>
               <listitem>
-                <para><literal>RELENG_3</literal>     AKA
-                  <emphasis>3.X-STABLE</emphasis></para>
+                <para><literal>RELENG_4</literal>     AKA
+                  <emphasis>4-STABLE</emphasis></para>
               </listitem>
 
               <listitem>
-                <para><literal>RELENG_4</literal>      AKA
-                  <emphasis>4-STABLE</emphasis></para>
+                <para><literal>RELENG_5</literal>      AKA
+                  <emphasis>5-STABLE</emphasis></para>
               </listitem>
 
               <listitem>
                 <para><literal>HEAD</literal>         AKA
                   <emphasis>-CURRENT</emphasis>  AKA
-                  <emphasis>5.X-CURRENT</emphasis></para>
+                  <emphasis>6.X-CURRENT</emphasis></para>
               </listitem>
 
             </itemizedlist>
@@ -11806,10 +11830,13 @@
             stream</emphasis></quote> which we simply refer to as
             <quote>-CURRENT</quote>.</para>
 
-          <para>Right now, <quote>-CURRENT</quote> is the 5.X development
-            stream and the <literal>4-STABLE</literal> branch,
+          <para>Right now, <quote>-CURRENT</quote> is the 6.X development
+            stream; the <literal>4-STABLE</literal> branch,
             <symbol>RELENG_4</symbol>, forked off from
-            <quote>-CURRENT</quote> in Mar 2000.</para>
+            <quote>-CURRENT</quote> in March 2000, and
+            the <literal>5-STABLE</literal> branch,
+            <symbol>RELENG_5</symbol>, forked off from
+            <quote>-CURRENT</quote> in October 2004.</para>
         </answer>
       </qandaentry>
 



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