doc: improve Release Types text in README

Simplify text and improve clarity.

PR-URL: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/23190
Reviewed-By: Daniel Bevenius <daniel.bevenius@gmail.com>
Reviewed-By: Ruben Bridgewater <ruben@bridgewater.de>
Reviewed-By: Colin Ihrig <cjihrig@gmail.com>
Reviewed-By: Trivikram Kamat <trivikr.dev@gmail.com>
Reviewed-By: James M Snell <jasnell@gmail.com>
Reviewed-By: Richard Lau <riclau@uk.ibm.com>
This commit is contained in:
Rich Trott 2018-09-30 22:52:19 -07:00
parent e8121d52db
commit 1f780be7d1

View File

@ -65,34 +65,28 @@ The open source license grants you the freedom to use Node.js. It does not
guarantee commitments of other people's time. Please be respectful and manage guarantee commitments of other people's time. Please be respectful and manage
your expectations. your expectations.
## Release Types ## Release Types
The Node.js project maintains multiple types of releases: * **Current**: Under active development. Code for the Current release is in the
branch for its major version number (for example,
* **Current**: Released from active development branches of this repository, [v10.x](https://github.com/nodejs/node/tree/v10.x)). Node.js releases a new
versioned by [SemVer](https://semver.org) and signed by a member of the major version every 6 months, allowing for breaking changes. This happens in
[Release Team](#release-team). April and October every year. Releases appearing each October have a support
Code for Current releases is organized in this repository by major version life of 8 months. Releases appearing each April convert to LTS (see below)
number. For example: [v4.x](https://github.com/nodejs/node/tree/v4.x). each October.
The major version number of Current releases will increment every 6 months
allowing for breaking changes to be introduced. This happens in April and
October every year. Current release lines beginning in October each year have
a maximum support life of 8 months. Current release lines beginning in April
each year will convert to LTS (see below) after 6 months and receive further
support for 30 months.
* **LTS**: Releases that receive Long-term Support, with a focus on stability * **LTS**: Releases that receive Long-term Support, with a focus on stability
and security. Every second Current release line (major version) will become an and security. Every even-numbered major version will become an LTS release.
LTS line and receive 18 months of _Active LTS_ support and a further 12 LTS releases receive 18 months of _Active LTS_ support and a further 12 months
months of _Maintenance_. LTS release lines are given alphabetically of _Maintenance_. LTS release lines have alphabetically-ordered codenames,
ordered codenames, beginning with v4 Argon. LTS releases are less frequent beginning with v4 Argon. There are no breaking changes or feature additions,
and will attempt to maintain consistent major and minor version numbers, except in some special circumstances.
only incrementing patch version numbers. There are no breaking changes or * **Nightly**: Code from the Current branch built every 24-hours when there are
feature additions, except in some special circumstances. changes. Use with caution.
* **Nightly**: Versions of code in this repository on the current Current
branch, automatically built every 24-hours where changes exist. Use with
caution.
More information can be found in the [LTS README](https://github.com/nodejs/LTS/). Current and LTS releases follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org). A
member of the [Release Team](#release-team) signs each Current and LTS release.
For more information, see the
[Release README](https://github.com/nodejs/Release).
### Download ### Download