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Apache NetBeans is released quarterly according to the following schedule.

Date
20202021202220232024
January 15th

Feature freeze for next release.
Delivery and release branches created.
Weekly Release Candidate made available for testing.






February 7th - 15thVoting

In mid-2018 there was a decision to move towards a time-based, quarterly release schedule for Apache NetBeans releases.  This schedule brings that into affect, starting from Apache NetBeans 11.1, and retrospectively designates Apache NetBeans 11.0 as an LTS release.

End 2019 lazy decision to shift release by one month, to avoid end of year period.

Schedule

LTS0  (in 2020)
NB <version>.2 voting NetBeans 11.2 (in 2019)2  (in 2019) 13.2 (in 2021)January . Merge window closesRelease branch <version>.3 created and beta build(s) February NB <version>.3 voting February
DateDescriptionrelease 11release 12release 13
February 21st

NB <version+1>.0 merge window opens.
(NB <version+1>.0 is consolidation of feature releases, as few new features as possible.)
NetCAT announced and signups begin.
NetCAT test spec review starts.

March 15thFeature freeze. Merge window closes.
Release branch <version+1>.0 created and beta build(s) made available.
When Beta 1 is available, NetCAT testing phase starts.		April 30thNetCAT testing ends.
NetCAT community acceptance vote.		May 7thNB <version+1>.0 voting candidate created and release vote commences.




May February 15th - 31stNB <version+1>.0 LTS released.28th/29thApache NetBeans release.
NetBeans 12.3NetBeans 13
NetBeans 17

NetBeans 21
Neil Smith 

April

LTS

NetBeans 13.0  (in 2021)

May 21st

NB <version+1>.1 merge window opens.

July 15th

Feature freeze

. Merge window closes. Only fixes intended

for next release

to be merged into master

.
Delivery and release branches created.

Release branch <version>.1 created and beta build(s)

Weekly Release Candidate made available

.  NetCAT lite???

for testing.






May 7th - 15thVoting August 7thNB <version>.1 voting candidate created and release vote commences.




August May 15th - 31stNB <version>.1 releasedApache NetBeans release.e.g., https://netbeans.apache.org/download/nb111/nb111.htmlNetBeans 11.1 (in 2019) NetBeans 12.1 (in 2020)NetBeans 13.1 (in 2021)NetBeans 12.0NetBeans 12.4NetBeans 14
NetBeans 18

NetBeans 22
Eric Barboni 

July 15th

Feature freeze for next release.
Delivery and release branches created.
Weekly Release Candidate made available for testing.






August 7th - 15thVoting August 21stNB <version>.2 merge window opens.October 15th

Feature freeze. Merge window closes.
Release branch <version>.2 created and beta build(s) made available.

November 7th candidate created and release vote commences.




August 15th - 31stApache NetBeans release.NetBeans 12.1NetBeans November 15th - 30thNB <version>.2 released.November 21stNB <version>.3 merge window opens.12.5
NetBeans 15
NetBeans 19NetBeans 23
October 15th

Feature freeze

for next release.
Delivery and release branches created.

Weekly Release Candidate made available for testing.






November 7th - 15thVoting candidate created and release vote commences.




November 15th - 30thNB <version>.3 released.
(Start NetCAT with this release here? Answer: No, for 12.0. Reconsider for 13.0.)		NetBeans 11.3  (in 2020)NetBeans 12.3 (in 2021)NetBeans 13.3 (in 2021)

...

Apache NetBeans release.NetBeans 12.2 NetBeans 12.6NetBeans 16
NetBeans 20NetBeans 24

Key points

  • Four releases a year on known dates (within reason, weekends, blockers, etc.).
  • Everything merged to master at all times is intended and ready to be included in the next scheduled release.  No or minimal cherry-picking to release branches.  Keep master releasable.
  • Each release has a fixed and well known feature-freeze date. Features may be targetted targeted for releases, but no promises are made of features being included unless they have been merged to master by that date.
  • Everything merged to master at all times prior to feature freeze is intended and ready to be included in the next scheduled release.  Keep master releasable!
  • Merging earlier rather than later in the merge window is to be encouraged!
  • After the feature freeze date only , fixes intended for the release should be merged to master delivery until the next feature window opens. Aside from any release-specific commits, the release The delivery branch will be kept in sync with mastermerged to both master and release branches on a weekly schedule.
  • All fixes merged to master delivery after the feature-freeze date should be made assessed and reviewed in accordance with the Bug Priority Guidelines
  • One release a year is designated a long-term / extended support version -
    • Only this release has a full NetCAT process, and subsequently a much shorter (month less) merge window to accommodate it (and because the emphasis for this release should be on fully stabilising features added in the previous 3 releases).
    • For 9 months of the year that means that people have a choice of two downloads (need to consider how to describe that, and what if any infrastructure concerns that brings?).  NetBeans 11.0 remains available until April 2020.
    • Minimal serious bug fixes might be backported to the LTS release and pushed via UC, taking into account the Bug Priority Guidelines (critical or blocker affecting significant users?) These should be done on the relevant release branch.
    • Users needing features should be encouraged on to the faster release train, and help test those features before next LTS.
    • Major version number is incremented for LTS.  So NetBeans 12.0 would be in April 2020.  Perhaps counter-intuitively the major version number would be increased for the versions with least new features. (Consider NetBeans 11.1 equivalent to NetBeans 11 feature update 1?)

History

In 2019 there was a decision to move towards a time-based, quarterly release schedule for Apache NetBeans releases.  This started from Apache NetBeans 11.1, and retrospectively designated Apache NetBeans 11.0 as an LTS release.

At the end of 2019 the schedule was shifted back by one month, to avoid the end of year period. At the end of 2020, master freezing was replaced by a move to a delivery and release branch mechanism.

In early 2021, a decision was made to review the process and requirements for LTS releases, and in October 2021 a decision was made to concentrate solely on quarterly releases, changing the numbering scheme accordingly. No further LTS release will be made.

Further details, notes, and discussions : Details, notes, and discussions: Notes and Discussions on the Release Schedule

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