* README.alpha (Version Numbering): No less useful for users of alpha releases. Copied from README. --- ChangeLog | 6 ++++++ README.alpha | 56 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 62 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog index d72d9e0..3e1cb95 100644 --- a/ChangeLog +++ b/ChangeLog @@ -1,3 +1,9 @@ +2010-09-18 Gary V. Vaughan <g...@gnu.org> + + maint: copy the Version Numbering section into README.alpha. + * README.alpha (Version Numbering): No less useful for users + of alpha releases. Copied from README. + 2010-09-17 Peter Rosin <p...@lysator.liu.se> tests: actually detect missing 'test' in 'if "$foo" = ...'. diff --git a/README.alpha b/README.alpha index a58167e..8c72c03 100644 --- a/README.alpha +++ b/README.alpha @@ -148,6 +148,62 @@ send the file `tests/testsuite.log' to the bug report mailing list, or optionally with: - Autoconf 2.59 or later - Automake 1.9.6 or later + +5. Version Numbering +==================== + +People have complained that they find the version numbering scheme under +which libtool is released confusing... so we've changed it! + +It works like this: + + <major-number>.<minor-number> + +Releases with a <major-number> less than 1 were not yet feature +complete. Releases with a <major-number> of 1 used the old numbering +scheme that everyone disliked so much. Releases with a <major-number> +of 2 us the new scheme described here. If libtool ever undergoes a +major rewrite or substantial restructuring, the <major-number> will be +incremented again. + +If we make a patch release to fix bugs in a stable release, we use a +third number, so: + + <major-number>.<minor-number>.<micro-number> + +Version numbers are chosen to make it easy for users to decide two +things: + + Q: How `developed' is this release? + A: The higher the number, the better! + Q: How `stable' is this release? + A: - If the <minor-number> is even, it is a stable release, `2.0'. + - If the <minor-number> is odd, it is a development version with + new features compared to the last stable release, `2.1a'. + - If it has an `odd'[1] letter after the version number, it is a + snapshot direct from CVS, `2.1a'. + - If it has an `even'[1] letter after the version number, it is an + alpha quality release, `2.1b'. + - If it has three numbers in the version, it is a patch release, + fixing bugs from the stable release (with no new features), `2.0.1'. + +[1] We always increment the letter in the repository before *and* after + making a release tarball. This means that "odd" letters + (a,c,e,g...) only exist in the repository, and "even" letters are + used instantaneously for an alpha release. Since the odd lettered + version numbers cover many states of the tree, we also qualify them + by adding the cvs version of the ChangeLog: + + $ libtool --version + ltmain.sh (GNU libtool 1.1603 2004/09/12 22:02:07) 2.1a + + Copyright (C) 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc. + This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO + warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +For more details about version numbers, see: + + http://www.gnu.org/software/libtool/contribute.html -- Copyright (C) 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. -- 1.7.2.2