Re: GCC multi-version development layout

On Monday, April 20th, 2026 at 5:32 PM, Segher Boessenkool <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Sun, Apr 19, 2026 at 10:53:26PM +0000, Heime via Gcc-help wrote:
> > Starting example table shows
> >
> > 5.0.0	(experimental) 	during active development of GCC 5 (stage 1 to 3)
> > 5.0.1	(experimental) 	during the stabilization period of GCC 5 (stage 4)
> > 5.0.1	(prerelease)
> 
> Yup.  During development of a release it identifies itself as
> "experimental", and when things are getting ready the patchlevel is
> changed from 0 to 1.  And the with a release candidate the dev-phase
> text is changed to "prerelease" (well, slightly earlier even: when the
> release branch is cut.  Typically about the same time, but Things Can
> Happen).

These things are never described.  
 
> > So stage changes and pre-releases do not show obvious numeric changes
> > to GCC-N-Y-Z.
> 
> I have no idea what you try to say here
> 
> > Version Numbering Scheme that reflects what one sees in GCC-N-Y-Z.  Major
> > version now consists of incrementing X, not incrementing Y (as with GCC 4.9
> > and previous).
> 
> No.  With 4.9 the major version was 4 (the minor version was 9).
> https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/cpp/Common-Predefined-Macros.html
> 
> Since GCC 5, we don't do minor numbers anymore, not for the same thing.
> 
> Normal users nowadays should only have to care about the major version
> (unless e.g. we fixed some nasty bug in some later release on the branch
> and the user wants to check if the version (s)he is using still is
> affected, that kind of thing).
> 
> Segher

Right.  But since the title of the page 

https://gcc.gnu.org/develop.html#timeline

is "GCC Development Plan" - there should be discussion of the 
development process.  That page disregards the development process,
the way the development numbering works and how and what things 
get updated.  The focus is changed to just describing releases.  

Telling users to "just care about the major version" on a page 
billed as "GCC Development Process Explained" is rude as a cop 
busting your door down at 3AM waving a rubber chicken instead 
of a warrant!

You drag us to the "Development Plan" promising the full monty:
from release stage 1 to 15.1.1 patches - then slap us with 
"ignore everything but the major number, peasant".