OpenSUSE Development Model

From openSUSE

We have a "code stream" that is constantly developed. It is called Factory. Everytime a packager submits a fix, version update, new feature or new package it is built in Factory. You can access Factory as an internet installation source here.

Then from time to time we "freeze" the Factory stream and allow only fixes to go in. No new features, no version updates and no new packages. Then on fixed dates (usually every second Thursday) we build installable medias from the Factory stream so that users can test the same "state" of the "frozen" Factory stream. First they are called alphas which then lead to betas which lead to release candidates (RC), which finally lead to a gold master (GM).

Once we have a goldmaster we copy the frozen stream to another location and unfreeze the Factory stream again.

Then you have two streams:

Factory that receives:

• fixes
• new packages
• new features
• new versions of packages

A released product (like 10.0) that receives:

• security fixes
• fixes for serious bugs

Your fixes, package wishes or the results of your bugreports you _always_ find in Factory.

 ==>==Factory stream==>==|==>==thursday==>==thursday==>==some later thursday==>==|==>==Factory stream==>==
        |             |         |            |             |                  |         |
      Free            |   10.2 Alpha..   10.2 Beta..     10.2 GM              |        Free
   Development        |                                                       |     Development
                      |                                                       |        again
                      |                                                       |
                      |                                                       |
                      10.2 starts                                             10.2 stops
                                                                              |
                                                                              ==>==10.2 Stream==>==