= Fedora Release Life Cycle ''' [IMPORTANT] ====== This page was automatically converted from https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_Release_Life_Cycle It is probably * Badly formatted * Missing graphics and tables that do not covert well from mediawiki * Out-of-date * In need of other love Please fix it, remove this notice, and then add to `_topic_map.yml` Pull requests accepted at https://pagure.io/fedora-docs/fedora-howto Once that is live, go to the original wiki page and add an `{{old}}` tag, followed by a note like .... {{admon/note|This page has a new home!| This wiki page is no longer maintained. Please find the up-to-date version at: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/whatever-the-url }} .... ====== ''' The Fedora Project releases a new version of Fedora approximately every 6 months and provides updated packages (maintenance) to these releases for approximately 13 months. This allows users to "skip a release" while still being able to always have a system that is still receiving updates. [[development-schedule]] Development Schedule ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We say _approximately every 6 months_ because like many things, they don't always go exactly as planned. The schedule is not strictly time-based, but a hybrid of time and quality. The milestone releases are QA:Release_validation_test_plan[tested] for compliance with the link:Fedora_Release_Criteria[Fedora Release Criteria], and releases will be delayed if this is not the case. The schedule for the release currently under development, , is on its link:Releases/{{FedoraVersion[|next}}/Schedule| release schedule] page. Alpha, Beta, and General Availability (final) releases happen at 14:00 UTC. [[development-planning]] Development Planning ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Fedora development planning is handled by the link:Changes/Policy[Release Planning Process]. So-called _Changes_ are proposed, initially reviewed, and monitored through the development process by the link:Fedora_Engineering_Steering_Committee[engineering steering committee]. [[development-process]] Development Process ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Fedora uses a system involving two 'development' trees. link:Releases/Rawhide[Rawhide] is a constantly rolling development tree. No releases are built directly from Rawhide. 14 weeks before the planned date of a Fedora release, a tree for that release is "link:Releases/Branched[Branched]" from the Rawhide tree. At that point the Rawhide tree is moving towards the release _after_ the new Branched release, and the pending release is stabilized in the Branched tree. After the link:Updates_Policy#Bodhi_enabling[Bodhi enabling point], the Bodhi system is permanently active on the Branched release (all the way until it goes EOL), and requirements for updates to be marked as _stable_ are set out in the link:Updates_Policy[Updates Policy]. Packages must go through the link:Repositories#updates-testing[_updates-testing_] repository for the release before entering its link:Repositories#stable[_stable_] repository, according to rules defined in the updates policy: these rules tighten gradually from Alpha through to post-GA (Final), but the basic process does not change. For some time prior to a milestone (Alpha, Beta, Final) release a link:Milestone_freezes[freeze] is in effect which prevents packages moving from _updates-testing_ to _stable_ except in accordance with the QA:SOP_blocker_bug_process[blocker] and QA:SOP_freeze_exception_bug_process[freeze exception] bug policies. This freeze is lifted once the milestone is finished, and so packages begin to move from _updates-testing_ to _stable_ as normal again, until the next milestone's freeze date. [[schedule-methodology]] Schedule Methodology ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Fedora release schedules are proposed by the link:Fedora_Program_Management[Fedora Program Manager] and ratified by the link:FESCo[ Fedora Engineering Steering Committee (FESCo)], with input from other groups. FESCo is responsible for overseeing the technical direction of the Fedora distribution. A core schedule is created using the key tasks listed below. Detailed team schedules are built around these dates. [cols=",,",options="header",] |======================================================================= |Task/Milestone |Start Day (Tuesdays or Thursdays) |Length |Planning and Development |_Branch point_ of _previous release_ plus *one day* |Variable |link:Changes/Policy#For_Developers[Changes Checkpoint #1: Proposal deadline] |Tue: _Branch point_ minus *3 months* |n/a |link:Releases/Branched[Branch point] |Tue: _Alpha Freeze_ minus *2 weeks* |n/a |link:Changes/Policy#For_Developers[Changes Checkpoint #2: Feature completion deadline] |Tue: *Same day* as _Branch point_ |N/A |QA:SOP_compose_request[Alpha test composes] |Any time after _Branch point_ |Until _Alpha release candidates_ |link:Milestone_freezes[ Alpha Freeze] |Tue: _Alpha Release_ minus *2 weeks* |QA:SOP_freeze_exception_bug_process and QA:SOP_blocker_bug_process in effect until _Alpha Release_ |link:Updates_Policy#Bodhi_activation[Bodhi activation point] |Tue: *Same day* as _Alpha Freeze_ |Bodhi enabled and Updates_Policy requirements in effect until _EOL_ |String Freeze |Tue: *Same day* as _Alpha Freeze_ |link:Software_String_Freeze_Policy[Software String Freeze Policy] in effect until _GA Release_ |QA:SOP_compose_request[Alpha release candidates] |Any time after _Alpha Freeze_ |Until _Alpha Release_ |Alpha Go_No_Go_Meeting |*Thu* @ 13:00 E\{D,S}T: planned _Alpha Release_ *minus five days* (repeats if No-Go) |n/a |Alpha Release |Tue: _Beta Release_ minus *5 weeks*, _Alpha Freeze_ plus *2 weeks* |Live until _Beta Release_ |QA:SOP_compose_request[Beta test composes] |Tue: _Beta Freeze_ minus *2 weeks*, _Alpha Release_ plus *1 week* |Until _Beta release candidates_ |link:Milestone_freezes[ Beta Freeze] |Tue: _Beta Release_ minus *2 weeks*, _Alpha Release_ plus *3 weeks* |QA:SOP_freeze_exception_bug_process and QA:SOP_blocker_bug_process in effect until _Beta Release_ |QA:SOP_compose_request[Beta release candidates] |Any time after _Beta Freeze_ |Until _Beta Release_ |link:Changes/Policy#For_Developers[Changes Checkpoint #3: 100% code complete deadline ] |Tue: *Same day* as _Beta Freeze_ |N/A |Beta Go_No_Go_Meeting |*Thu* @ 13:00 E\{D,S}T: planned _Beta Release_ *minus five days* (repeats if No-Go) |n/a |Beta Release |Tue: _Beta Freeze_ plus *2 weeks*, _GA Release_ minus *5 weeks* |Live until _GA release_ |QA:SOP_compose_request[Final test composes] |Tue: _Final Freeze_ minus *2 weeks*, _Beta Release_ plus *1 week* |Until _Final release candidates_ |link:Milestone_freezes[ Final Freeze] |Tue: _Final Release_ minus *2 weeks*, _Beta Release_ plus *3 weeks* |QA:SOP_freeze_exception_bug_process and QA:SOP_blocker_bug_process in effect until _GA Release_ |QA:SOP_compose_request[Final release candidates] |Any time after _Final Freeze_ |Until _GA Release_ |Final Go_No_Go_Meeting |*Thu* @ 13:00 E\{D,S}T: planned _GA Release_ *minus five days* (repeats if No-Go) |n/a |GA Release |Tue: *Primary date* from which rest of schedule derives |n/a |Maintenance |Tue: *Same day* as _GA release_ |~**13 Months** |End of Life |_GA of next-but-one release_ plus *one month* |n/a |======================================================================= [[steps-to-construct-a-new-schedule]] Steps to Construct a New Schedule ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is admittedly an unusual methodology, but it is fairly easy to generate using the the [https://fedorapeople.org/groups/schedule/f-%7B%7BFedoraVersionNumber%7Cnext%7D} TaskJuggler schedules] the Fedora Program Manager maintains. 1. Pick _GA release_ date (the Tuesday before May 1st or October 31st) * Check with Fedora PR to ensure that planned dates do not conflict with other ecosystem planned events (so we get the maximum press benefit) 2. Work backwards using consistent spacing for freezes, composes, and releases for Alpha, Beta, and Final, as described above, to the _Branch point_ 3. Set the link:Changes/Policy[change proposal checkpoint/deadline] working backwards from the _Branch point_ 4. The time before the _change proposal checkpoint/deadline_ and after the _Branch point of the previous release_ is the time dedicated to _development_ * Development time varies from from release to release based on when the previous release branched * The stabilization and testing time (from _Branch point_ until _GA release_) is held constant from release to release Schedule draft is submitted to FESCo via its ticketing system for the approval. Initially, all milestones except "Change Checkpoint: Proposal submission deadline (System Wide Changes)" are scheduled as so called "no earlier than". Final schedule is set after the FESCo's review of proposed and accepted Changes proposals and "no earlier than" note is removed from schedule. This gives us opportunity to properly plan release, especially for changes with high impact on the release. [[development-schedule-rationale]] Development Schedule Rationale ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Fedora generally develops new releases over a six month period to provide a regular and predictable release schedule. The bi-annual targeted release dates are _May Day_ (May 1st) and _Halloween_ (October 31) making them easy to remember and avoiding significant holiday breaks. Changes to this standard must be approved by the community-elected link:FESCo[ Fedora Engineering Steering Committee (FESCo)]. A six month release schedule also follows the precedence of Red Hat Linux (precursor to Fedora). Former Red Hat software engineer Havoc Pennington offers a historical perspective http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.redhat.fedora.advisory-board/1475/[here]. GNOME started following a time based release based on the ideas and success of Red Hat Linux and other distributions following Fedora having adopted a similar release cycle. Several other major components, including the Linux kernel, Openoffice.org, Xorg, have started following a time based release schedule. While the exact release schedules vary between these components and other upstream projects, the interactions between these components and Fedora makes a six month time based release schedule a good balance. Although due to how planning process and release validation works, Fedora is not a strictly time based distribution but uses combination of both time and feature based release paradigms. This way we can react to bigger changes aka new installed, way how we release bits (Fedora.Next) etc. [[schedule-contingency-planning]] Schedule Contingency Planning ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If the Alpha, Beta, or Final link:Go_No_Go_Meeting[Go_No_Go_Meetings] result in a "No Go" determination, that milestone and subsequent milestones will be pushed back by one week. One week is added to the schedule to maintain the practice of releasing on Tuesdays. Tuesdays are the designated release day because they are good days for news coverage and the established day we synchronize our content with the mirrors that carry our releases. Be aware of holidays and of possible PR conflicts (contact Fedora PR) with the new proposed final date. Go/No Go meetings receive input from representatives of link:Fedora_Engineering_Steering_Committee[FESCo], link:ReleaseEngineering[Release Engineering], and link:QA[Quality Assurance]. [[maintenance-schedule]] Maintenance Schedule ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We say maintained for _approximately 13 months_ because the supported period for releases is dependent on the date the release under development goes final. As a result, _Release X_ is supported until one month after the release of _Release X+2_. This translates into: * will be maintained until 1 month after the release of . * will be maintained until 1 month after the release of . [[maintenance-schedule-rationale]] Maintenance Schedule Rationale ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Fedora is link:Objectives[ focused] on free and open source software link:Red_Hat_contributions[ innovations] and moves quickly. If you want a distribution that moves slower but has a longer lifecycle, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, which is derivative of Fedora or free rebuilds of that such as CentOS might be more suitable for you. Refer to the RHEL page for more details. Historically, the Fedora Project has found supporting two releases plus Rawhide and the pre-release Branched code to be a manageable work load. [[end-of-life-eol]] End of Life (EOL) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When a release reaches the point where it is no longer supported nor updates are created for it, then it is considered _End of Life_ (EOL). Branches for new packages in the SCM are not allowed for distribution X after the Fedora X+2 release and new builds are no longer allowed. The tasks performed at EOL are documented in the link:End_of_life_SOP[End of life SOP]. [[additional-release-schedule-information]] Additional Release Schedule Information --------------------------------------- * Overview of Releases, including currently supported releases * link:End_of_life[ Unsupported Releases] * link:Releases/HistoricalSchedules[ Historical Release Information] Category:Distribution ''' See a typo, something missing or out of date, or anything else which can be improved? 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