From 70e2425ffefea08467d1985409a6c33a3143e850 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Antoine Poinsot Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2025 16:02:52 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Update the release lifecycle page to reflect current practices We only make a difference between maintained versions and end of life versions. To reflect this practice, update the lifecycle page to drop the confusing EOM status. While at it, update the versioning and maintenance sections to more closely reflect the current practices of the project. --- _includes/posts/maintenance-table.md | 48 ++++++++++++------------- _posts/en/pages/2016-01-15-lifecycle.md | 37 +++++++------------ 2 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 48 deletions(-) diff --git a/_includes/posts/maintenance-table.md b/_includes/posts/maintenance-table.md index de4bc8518..01177fa43 100644 --- a/_includes/posts/maintenance-table.md +++ b/_includes/posts/maintenance-table.md @@ -1,24 +1,24 @@ -| 31.x | TBA* | after v33.0 | after v34.0 | -| 30.x | 2025-10-10 | after v32.0 | after v33.0 | -| 29.x | 2025-04-14 | after v31.0 | after v32.0 | -| 28.x | 2024-10-02 | 2025-10-10 | after v31.0 | -| 27.x | 2024-04-16 | 2025-04-14 | 2025-10-10 | -| 26.x | 2023-12-06 | 2024-10-02 | 2025-04-14 | -| 25.x | 2023-05-18 | 2024-04-16 | 2024-10-02 | -| 24.x | 2022-11-24 | 2023-12-12 | 2024-04-02 | -| 23.x | 2022-04-25 | 2023-05-18 | 2023-12-01 | -| 22.x | 2021-09-13 | 2022-12-14 | 2023-04-01 | -| 0.21.x | 2021-01-15 | 2022-04-25 | 2022-10-01 | -| 0.20.x | 2020-06-03 | 2021-09-13 | 2022-02-01 | -| 0.19.x | 2019-11-24 | 2021-01-15 | 2021-08-01 | -| 0.18.x | 2019-05-02 | 2020-06-03 | 2021-02-01 | -| 0.17.x | 2018-10-03 | 2019-11-24 | 2020-08-01 | -| 0.16.x | 2018-02-26 | 2019-05-02 | 2020-02-01 | -| 0.15.x | 2017-09-15 | 2018-10-03 | 2019-08-01 | -| 0.14.x | 2017-03-08 | 2018-02-26 | 2019-02-01 | -| 0.13.x | 2016-08-23 | 2017-09-15 | 2018-08-01 | -| 0.12.x | 2016-02-23 | 2017-03-31 | 2018-02-28 | -| 0.11.x | 2015-07-12 | 2016-08-23 | 2017-08-01 | -| 0.10.x | 2015-02-16 | 2016-02-29 | 2017-02-28 | -| 0.9.x | 2014-03-19 | 2015-06-16 | 2016-02-28 | -| 0.8.x | 2013-02-19 | 2014-03-19 | 2015-12-31 | +| 31.x | TBA* | after v34.0 | +| 30.x | 2025-10-10 | after v33.0 | +| 29.x | 2025-04-14 | after v32.0 | +| 28.x | 2024-10-02 | after v31.0 | +| 27.x | 2024-04-16 | 2025-10-10 | +| 26.x | 2023-12-06 | 2025-04-14 | +| 25.x | 2023-05-18 | 2024-10-02 | +| 24.x | 2022-11-24 | 2024-04-02 | +| 23.x | 2022-04-25 | 2023-12-01 | +| 22.x | 2021-09-13 | 2023-04-01 | +| 0.21.x | 2021-01-15 | 2022-10-01 | +| 0.20.x | 2020-06-03 | 2022-02-01 | +| 0.19.x | 2019-11-24 | 2021-08-01 | +| 0.18.x | 2019-05-02 | 2021-02-01 | +| 0.17.x | 2018-10-03 | 2020-08-01 | +| 0.16.x | 2018-02-26 | 2020-02-01 | +| 0.15.x | 2017-09-15 | 2019-08-01 | +| 0.14.x | 2017-03-08 | 2019-02-01 | +| 0.13.x | 2016-08-23 | 2018-08-01 | +| 0.12.x | 2016-02-23 | 2018-02-28 | +| 0.11.x | 2015-07-12 | 2017-08-01 | +| 0.10.x | 2015-02-16 | 2017-02-28 | +| 0.9.x | 2014-03-19 | 2016-02-28 | +| 0.8.x | 2013-02-19 | 2015-12-31 | diff --git a/_posts/en/pages/2016-01-15-lifecycle.md b/_posts/en/pages/2016-01-15-lifecycle.md index 3c881631a..92cb56693 100755 --- a/_posts/en/pages/2016-01-15-lifecycle.md +++ b/_posts/en/pages/2016-01-15-lifecycle.md @@ -16,17 +16,11 @@ This document describes the life-cycle of the Bitcoin Core software package rele Bitcoin Core releases are versioned as follows: MAJOR.MINOR, and release candidates are suffixed with rc1, rc2 etc. -## Major releases +We aim to make a major release every 6 months. These will be numbered 29.0, 30.0 etc. -We aim to make a major release every 6-7 months. - -These will be numbered 22.0, 23.0 etc. - -## Maintenance releases - -We will provide maintenance "minor releases" that fix bugs within the major releases. As a general rule we do not introduce major new features in a maintenance release (except for consensus rules). However, we may add minor features where necessary, and we will back-port consensus rule changes such as soft forks. - -Minor releases will be numbered 22.1, 22.2, 23.1, 23.2 etc. +We will provide maintenance minor releases that fix bugs (security and otherwise) for each major release. These +will be numbered 29.3, 30.1, etc. We will not introduce major new features in maintenance releases (besides consensus +rules change, see below). ## Consensus rules @@ -34,26 +28,21 @@ Proposals to change consensus rules are always shipped first in maintenance vers ## Maintenance period -We maintain the major versions until their "Maintenance End". We generally maintain the current and previous major release. -For example, if the current release is 23.0, then 22.0 is also considered maintained. -Once 24.0 is released, then 22.0 would be considered at its "Maintenance End". -As a major release ages, issues have to be increasingly critical to be backported to it, and an increasing amount or severity of issues is required to warrant a new minor release. -Once software has reached the "Maintenance End" period, it will only receive critical security fixes until the End-of-Life (EOL) date. -After EOL, users must upgrade to a later version to receive security updates, even though the community may provide fixes for critical issues on a best effort basis. -Generally, it is recommended to run the latest maintenance release (point release) of the current or previous major version. - -Please note that minor versions get bugfixes, translation updates, and soft forks. Translation on [Transifex][bitcoin-transifex-link] is only open for the last two major releases. +We always maintain the past three major versions released. Once a major version falls outside that window, it becomes +"End of Life". The threshold for backporting a change to a past major version increases as it ages. For example, if the +last major release is 30.0, then 29.x and 28.x are also considered maintained. Once 31.0 is released, then 28.x becomes +"End of Life". -For example, major version 22.0 was released on 2021-09-13 and we provided maintenance fixes (point releases) until 2022-12-14. -Critical security issues would still be continued to be fixed until the EOL date of 2023-04-01. -However, to take advantage of bug fixes, you would have to upgrade to a later major version. +Major versions that are "End of Life" do not, as a general rule, receive security fixes. For more about our policy on +security fixes, see our [security advisories](/en/security-advisories/) page. We recommend running the latest +maintenance release (point release) of the most recent major version you are able to upgrade to. ## Schedule Once EOL is reached, you will need to upgrade to a newer version. -| Version | Release Date | Maintenance End | End of Life | -|---------|--------------|-----------------|-------------| +| Version | Release Date | End of Life | +|---------|--------------|-------------| {% include posts/maintenance-table.md %} \* _We aim to make a major release every 6-7 months_