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authorSamba Release Account <samba-bugs@samba.org>1996-10-03 03:40:32 +0000
committerSamba Release Account <samba-bugs@samba.org>1996-10-03 03:40:32 +0000
commitf60dec78f993721c31d1650a0710a1a790efd76a (patch)
tree32ca373ecdccac2d891644e9c42e4ae05ceaa9ef
parent986edc0146c97e5720733015dce8b413c51ba909 (diff)
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Added a version of tridge's comments on numbering to the faq.
Dan (This used to be commit 53a4b8769e25c65fa6ab0f532e30630adf6f2056)
-rw-r--r--docs/samba.faq47
1 files changed, 46 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/docs/samba.faq b/docs/samba.faq
index ae8abddedb..ac3d6bc21d 100644
--- a/docs/samba.faq
+++ b/docs/samba.faq
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Contents
* SECTION ONE: General information
All about Samba - what it is, how to get it, related sources of
- information.
+ information, how to understand the version numbering scheme.
* SECTION TWO: Compiling and installing Samba on a Unix host
Common problems that arise when building and installing Samba under
Unix.
@@ -118,6 +118,51 @@ versions of some Linux distributions, for example, do contain Samba binaries
for that platform.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+* 5: What do the version numbers mean?
+
+It is not recommended that you run a version of Samba with the word "alpha"
+in its name unless you know what you are doing and are willing to do some
+debugging. Many, many people just get the latest recommended stable release
+version and are happy. If you are brave, by all means take the plunge and
+help with the testing and development - but don't install it on your
+departmental server. Samba is typically very stable and safe, and this is
+mostly due to the policy of many public releases.
+
+1) when major changes are made the version number is increased. For example,
+the transition from 1.9.15 to 1.9.16. However, this version number will not
+appear immediately and people should continue to use 1.9.15 for production
+systems (see next point.)
+
+2) just after major changes are made the software is considered
+unstable, and a series of alpha releases are distributed, for example
+1.9.16alpha1. These are for testing by those who know what they are doing.
+The "alpha" in the filename will hopefully scare off those who are just
+looking for the latest version to install.
+
+3) when Andrew thinks that the alphas have stabilised to the point where he
+would recommend new users install it, he renames it to the same version
+number without the alpha, for example 1.9.16.
+
+4) inevitably bugs are found in the "stable" releases and minor
+patch levels are released which give us the pXX series, for example
+1.9.16p2.
+
+So the progression goes:
+
+ 1.9.15p7
+ 1.9.15p8
+ 1.9.16alpha1
+ :
+ 1.9.16alpha20
+ 1.9.16
+ 1.9.16p1
+
+The above system means that whenever someone looks on our ftp site
+they will be able to grab the highest numbered release without an
+alpha in the name and be sure of getting the current recommended
+version.
+
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* 4: What platforms are supported?
Many different platforms have run Samba successfully. The platforms most widely