difference between releases

[Alan Gerber]

Bart Silverstrim wrote:

>
> On Nov 8, 2004, at 12:47 PM, TM4526 at aol.com wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 11/8/04 11:54:37 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>> jerrymc at clunix.cl.msu.edu writes:
>>
>>> on the "release", which should be a known, completed code base.
>>>
>>> All part of the experience  I suppose.
>>
>>
>>> The whole world is in beta.   Get over it.
>>
>> Only the open-source world.
>
>
> When did Windows go open source? :-)
>
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>
In conventional terms, yes, FreeBSD releases are something like 
snapshots, so you're right in that respect.  However, these 
"snapshots"/releases are not really as much of a piece of beta software 
as you make it out to be.  Many people download, use, and test the 
release prior to its actual release in order to cut down on the number 
of bugs in that particular release.  That is the reason for the src and 
ports (and even doc, to a certain extent) trees freezing in the 
days/weeks prior to a release -- so that nothing new happens except for 
bugfixes and bugfixes for bugfixes and so on as necessary.  This 
probably gives you the best set of testing you can reasonably ask for in 
a code base that is always being updated.

So what it comes down to is that releases are snapshots of a particular 
CVS branch at a particular point in time that gets special attention in 
terms of use and testing.

--
Alan Gerber