diff --git a/docs/docsite/rst/reference_appendices/release_and_maintenance.rst b/docs/docsite/rst/reference_appendices/release_and_maintenance.rst index 08c76a70c0c..d7df29d054d 100644 --- a/docs/docsite/rst/reference_appendices/release_and_maintenance.rst +++ b/docs/docsite/rst/reference_appendices/release_and_maintenance.rst @@ -3,153 +3,19 @@ Release and maintenance ======================= -.. contents:: Topics - :local: - .. _release_cycle: - -Release cycle -````````````` - -Ansible is developed and released on a flexible 4 months release cycle. -This cycle can be extended in order to allow for larger changes to be properly -implemented and tested before a new release is made available. - -Ansible has a graduated support structure that extends to three major releases. -For more information, read about the :ref:`development_and_stable_version_maintenance_workflow` or -see the chart in :ref:`release_schedule` for the degrees to which current releases are supported. - -If you are using a release of Ansible that is no longer supported, we strongly -encourage you to upgrade as soon as possible in order to benefit from the -latest features and security fixes. - -Older, unsupported versions of Ansible can contain unfixed security -vulnerabilities (*CVE*). - -You can refer to the :ref:`porting guides` for tips on updating your Ansible -playbooks to run on newer versions. - .. _release_schedule: - -Release status -`````````````` - -=============== ========================== ================================================= -Ansible Release Latest Version Status -=============== ========================== ================================================= -devel 2.8 (unreleased, trunk) In development -`2.7`_ 2.7.0 (2018-10-04) Supported (security **and** general bug fixes) -`2.6`_ 2.6.5 (2018-09-28) Supported (security **and** critical bug fixes) -`2.5`_ 2.5.9 (2018-09-10) Supported (security fixes) -`2.4`_ 2.4.6 (2018-07-05) Unsupported (end of life) -`2.3`_ 2.3.3 (2017-12-20) Unsupported (end of life) -`2.2`_ 2.2.3 (2017-05-09) Unsupported (end of life) -`2.1`_ 2.1.6 (2017-06-01) Unsupported (end of life) -`2.0`_ 2.0.2 (2016-04-19) Unsupported (end of life) -`1.9`_ 1.9.6 (2016-04-15) Unsupported (end of life) -<1.9 n/a Unsupported (end of life) -=============== ========================== ================================================= - -.. note:: Starting with Ansible-2.4, support lasts for 3 releases. Thus Ansible-2.4 will receive - security and general bug fixes when it is first released, security and critical bug fixes when - 2.5 is released, and **only** security fixes once 2.6 is released. - -.. Comment: devel used to point here but we're currently revamping our changelog process and have no - link to a static changelog for devel _2.6: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/devel/CHANGELOG.md -.. _2.7: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-2.7/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.7.rst -.. _2.6: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-2.6/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.6.rst -.. _2.5: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-2.5/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.5.rst -.. _2.4: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-2.4/CHANGELOG.md -.. _2.3: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-2.3/CHANGELOG.md -.. _2.2: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-2.2/CHANGELOG.md -.. _2.1: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-2.1/CHANGELOG.md -.. _2.0: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-2.0/CHANGELOG.md -.. _1.9: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/stable-1.9/CHANGELOG.md - .. _support_life: .. _methods: - .. _development_and_stable_version_maintenance_workflow: - -Development and stable version maintenance workflow -``````````````````````````````````````````````````` - -The Ansible community develops and maintains Ansible on GitHub_. - -New modules, plugins, features and bugfixes will always be integrated in what will become the next -major version of Ansible. This work is tracked on the ``devel`` git branch. - -Ansible provides bugfixes and security improvements for the most recent major release. The previous -major release will only receive fixes for security issues and critical bugs. Ansible only applies -security fixes to releases which are two releases old. This work is tracked on the -``stable-`` git branches. - -.. note:: Support for three major releases began with Ansible-2.4. Ansible-2.3 and older versions - are only supported for two releases with the first stage including both security and general bug - fixes while the second stage includes security and critical bug fixes - -The fixes that land in supported stable branches will eventually be released -as a new version when necessary. - -For more information on the changes included in each new version, you can refer -to the changelog_, available on GitHub. - -Note that while there are no guarantees for providing fixes for unsupported -releases of Ansible, there can sometimes be exceptions for critical issues. - -.. _GitHub: https://github.com/ansible/ansible -.. _changelog: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/devel/CHANGELOG.md - - -Release candidates -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - -Before a new release or version of Ansible can be done, it will typically go -through a release candidate process. - -This provides the Ansible community the opportunity to test Ansible and report -bugs or issues they might come across. - -Ansible tags the first release candidate (``RC1``) which is usually scheduled -to last five business days. The final release is done if no major bugs or -issues are identified during this period. - -If there are major problems with the first candidate, a second candidate will -be tagged (``RC2``) once the necessary fixes have landed. -This second candidate lasts for a shorter duration than the first. -If no problems have been reported after two business days, the final release is -done. - -More release candidates can be tagged as required, so long as there are -bugs that the Ansible core maintainers consider should be fixed before the -final release. - +.. _release_changelogs: .. _release_freezing: -Feature freeze -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - -While there is a pending release candidate, the focus of core developers and -maintainers will on fixes towards the release candidate. - -Merging new features or fixes that are not related to the release candidate may -be delayed in order to allow the new release to be shipped as soon as possible. - - -Deprecation Cycle -````````````````` - -Sometimes we need to remove a feature, normally in favor of a reimplementation that we hope does a better job. -To do this we have a deprecation cycle. First we mark a feature as 'deprecated'. This is normally accompanied with warnings -to the user as to why we deprecated it, what alternatives they should switch to and when (which version) we are scheduled -to remove the feature permanently. +Please go to `the devel release and maintenance page `_ for up to date information. -The cycle is normally across 4 feature releases (2.x.y, where the x marks a feature release and the y a bugfix release), -so the feature is normally removed in the 4th release after we announce the deprecation. -For example, something deprecated in 2.5 will be removed in 2.9, assuming we don't jump to 3.x before that point. -The tracking is tied to the number of releases, not the release numbering. +.. note:: -For modules/plugins, we keep the documentation after the removal for users of older versions. + This link takes you to a different version of the Ansible documentation. Use the version selection on the left or your browser back button to return to this version of the documentation. .. seealso::