github.com/technosophos/deis@v1.7.1-0.20150915173815-f9005256004b/docs/roadmap/schedule.rst (about)

     1  :title: Release Schedule
     2  :description: When does Deis have major, minor, and patch releases?
     3  
     4  .. _release_schedule:
     5  
     6  Release Schedule
     7  ================
     8  
     9  Some of the greatest assets of the Deis project are velocity and agility.
    10  Deis changed rapidly and with relative ease during initial development.
    11  
    12  Deis now harnesses those strengths into powering a regular, public release
    13  cadence. From v1.0.0 onward, the Deis project will release a minor version each
    14  month, with patch versions as needed. The project will use GitHub milestones to
    15  communicate the content and timing of major and minor releases.
    16  
    17  Deis releases are not feature-based, in that dates are not linked to specific
    18  features. If a feature is merged before the release date, it is included in the
    19  next minor or major release.
    20  
    21  The master ``git`` branch of Deis always works. Only changes considered ready to
    22  be released publicly are merged, and releases are made from master.
    23  
    24  Semantic Versioning
    25  -------------------
    26  
    27  Deis releases comply with `semantic versioning`_, with the "public API" broadly
    28  defined as:
    29  
    30  - the REST API for *deis-controller*
    31  - etcd keys and values that are publicly documented
    32  - ``deis`` and ``deisctl`` commands and options
    33  - essential ``Makefile`` targets
    34  - provider scripts under ``contrib/``
    35  
    36  Users of Deis can be confident that upgrading to a patch or to a minor release
    37  will not change the behavior of these items in a backward-incompatible way.
    38  
    39  
    40  Patch Releases
    41  --------------
    42  
    43  A patch release of Deis includes backwards-compatible bug fixes. Upgrading to
    44  this version is safe and can be done in-place.
    45  
    46  Backwards-compatible bug fixes to Deis are merged into the master branch at any
    47  time after they have :ref:`two approval comments <merge_approval>`.
    48  
    49  Patch releases are created as often as needed, based on the priority of one or
    50  more bug fixes that have been merged. If time or severity is crucial, an
    51  individual maintainer can create a patch release without consensus from others.
    52  Patch releases are created from a previous release by cherry-picking specific
    53  bug fixes from the master branch, then applying and pushing the new release tag.
    54  
    55  
    56  Minor Releases
    57  --------------
    58  
    59  A minor release of Deis introduces functionality in a backward-compatible
    60  manner. Upgrading to this version is safe and can be done in-place.
    61  
    62  Backwards-compatible functionality changes to Deis are merged into the master
    63  branch after they have :ref:`two approval comments <merge_approval>`, and after
    64  the PR has been assigned to a milestone tracking the minor release.
    65  
    66  It is preferable to merge several backwards-compatible functionality changes for
    67  a single minor release.
    68  
    69  The Deis project will use GitHub milestones to communicate the content and
    70  timing of planned minor releases. Currently project maintainers meet each week
    71  on Thursday afternoon to assign pull requests to milestones.
    72  
    73  The Deis project will release a minor version of the platform on the first
    74  Tuesday of each month. The target day may be shifted to accomodate holidays or
    75  unusual circumstances. If project maintainers agree, an additional minor release
    76  may occur between planned releases. Code freeze and :ref:`further acceptance
    77  tests <features_to_be_tested>` begin on the Thursday before a targeted release.
    78  
    79  A minor release may be superceded by a major release.
    80  
    81  
    82  Major Releases
    83  --------------
    84  
    85  A major release of Deis introduces incompatible API changes. Upgrading to this
    86  version may involve a backup and restore process. Custom integrations with Deis
    87  may need to be updated.
    88  
    89  Incompatible changes to Deis are merged into the master branch deliberately, by
    90  agreement among maintainers. In addition to
    91  :ref:`two approval comments <merge_approval>`, the pull request must be assigned
    92  to a planning milestone for that release, at which point it can be merged when
    93  release activities and testing begin.
    94  
    95  The Deis project will use GitHub milestones to communicate the content and
    96  timing of planned major releases.
    97  
    98  
    99  .. _`semantic versioning`: http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html