Re: [RFC] Introduce semantic versioning 2.0.0 to FreeBSD releases

> Historically, there were 1.1.5.1, 2.1.6.1 and 2.1.7.1.

Yes - 0.0.0.0 as of 14.3.0.7 instead of 14.3.7 works for me.



Temat: Re: [RFC] Introduce semantic versioning 2.0.0 to FreeBSD releases
Data: 2026-02-25 22:58
Nadawca: "Tomoaki AOKI" <[email protected]>
Adresat: "vermaden" <[email protected]>; 
DW: "Tomek CEDRO" <[email protected]>; "Minsoo Choo" <[email protected]>; "freebsd-hackers" <[email protected]>; 

> 
>> On Wed, 25 Feb 2026 20:26:29 +0100
> vermaden  wrote:
> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I would prefer staying with what we have ... for consistency.
>> 
>> All the tools/scripts/everything have already been 'taught' to
interpret 14.3-RELEASE-p7 format.
>> 
>> Switching *now* after more then 30 years of FreeBSD releases would
only cause this: https://xkcd.com/927/
>> 
>> No one wants that confusion.
> 
> +1.
> 
> 
>>  ... but I have better idea.
>> 
>> We already have these:
>> 
>>     % sysctl kern | grep -e kern.osrelease -e kern.version    
>>     kern.osrelease: 14.3-RELEASE-p7
>>     kern.version: FreeBSD 14.3-RELEASE-p7 GENERIC
>> 
>> Adding additional 'kern.dotrelease' which would be in 0.0.0 format
will not hurt anyone - yet you will have your version.
>> 
>>     % sysctl kern | grep -e kern.osrelease -e kern.version    
>>     kern.osrelease: 14.3-RELEASE-p7
>>     kern.version: FreeBSD 14.3-RELEASE-p7 GENERIC
>>     kern.dotrelease: 14.3.7
> 
> Historically, there were 1.1.5.1, 2.1.6.1 and 2.1.7.1.
> 
>  
https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/blob/main/share/misc/bsd-family-tree
> 
> Not sure about 1.1.5.1 (as at the moment I didn't know the exixtence
> of FreeBSD yet), but IIRC, 2.1.6.1 and 2.1.7.1 were something
> like current -p* point releases.
> 
> So, if introducing 2 or more dot format as kern.dotrelease
> sysctl, what I recommend here would be "kern.dotrelease: 14.3.0.7"
> corresponding to "kern.osrelease: 14.3-RELEASE-p7".
> 
> And if there happenes to require any security update breaking
> backward compatibilities next to 14.3-RELEASE-p7, use
> irregular 14.3.1-RELEASE with __FreeBSD_version bump.
> 
> The next patch release for 14.3.1-RELEASE should be
> 14.3.1-RELEASE-p1.
> 
> I think this doesn't hurt current semantics of release tags
> and would be safe for 4 2-dots release.
> (I imagine __FreeBSD_version 1403100 for 14.3.1-RELEASE
> and following point releases. Stable restarts from 1403500
> after 14.3-RELEASE, so using 1403100, 1403200, 1403300 and 1403400
> would be safe.)
> 
> Regards.
> 
> 
>> ... and I would also add '-d' flag for freebsd-version(*) to print
FreeBSD version in '0.0.0' format.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> vermaden
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Temat: Re: [RFC] Introduce semantic versioning 2.0.0 to FreeBSD
releases
>> Data: 2026-02-25 17:42
>> Nadawca: "Tomek CEDRO" <[email protected]>
>> Adresat: "Minsoo Choo" <[email protected]>; 
>> DW: "freebsd-hackers" <[email protected]>; 
>> 
>>>> On Wed, Feb 25, 2026 at 7:17 AM Minsoo Choo wrote:
>>>> Currently FreeBSD uses a variant of semantic versioning for
releases
>> (e.g. 15.0-RELEASE-p1) where backward compatibility can be broken
(e.g.
>> deprecation of a utility) in a new major version, new features are
added in
>> minor versions, and security fixes are introduced in a new patch
version.
>>>> (..)
>>> 
>>> +1 for simpler numbering like standard major.minor.patch:
>>> 16.0-RELEASE -> 16.0.0.
>>> 16.0-RELEASE-p1 -> 16.0.1.
>>> 16.1-RELEASE -> 16.1.0.
>>> 16.1-RELEASE-p1 -> 16.1.1.
>>> 
>>> X.Y.Z numbering would imply release, maybe 16.0.0-RELEASE for
clarity.
>>> 
>>> 15-STABLE and 17-CURRENT could be left untouched or something like
>>> 17.0.20260225-CURRENT to mark snapshot?
>>> 
>>> :-)
>>> 
>>> --
>>> CeDeROM, SQ7MHZ, http://www.tomek.cedro.info
> 
> 
> -- 
> Tomoaki AOKI    
> 
> 
>