@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ GitLab uses [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/) for its releases:
For example, for GitLab version 12.10.6:
-`12` represents the major version. The major release was 12.0.0, but often referred to as 12.0.
-`10` represents the minor version. The minor release was 12.10.0, but often referred to as 12.10.
-`12` represents the major version. The major release was 12.0.0 but often referred to as 12.0.
-`10` represents the minor version. The minor release was 12.10.0 but often referred to as 12.10.
-`6` represents the patch number.
Any part of the version number can increment into multiple digits, for example, 13.10.11.
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@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ The following table describes the version types and their release cadence:
We encourage everyone to run the [latest stable release](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/categories/releases/)
to ensure that you can easily upgrade to the most secure and feature-rich GitLab experience.
In order to make sure you can easily run the most recent stable release, we are working
To make sure you can easily run the most recent stable release, we are working
hard to keep the update process simple and reliable.
If you are unable to follow our monthly release cycle, there are a couple of
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@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ We cannot guarantee that upgrading between major versions will be seamless.
We suggest upgrading to the latest available *minor* version within
your major version before proceeding to the next major version.
Doing this will address any backward-incompatible changes or deprecations
to help ensure a successful upgrade to next major release.
to help ensure a successful upgrade to the next major release.
It's also important to ensure that any background migrations have been fully completed
before upgrading to a new major version. To see the current size of the `background_migration` queue,
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@@ -110,14 +110,13 @@ Please see the table below for some examples:
| `13.2.0` | `11.5.0` | `11.5.0` -> `11.11.8` -> `12.0.12` -> `12.10.6` -> `13.0.0` -> `13.2.0` | Four intermediate versions are required: the final `11.11`, `12.0`, and `12.10` releases, plus `13.0`. |
| `13.0.1` | `11.10.8` | `11.10.5` -> `11.11.8` -> `12.0.12` -> `12.10.6` -> `13.0.1` | Three intermediate versions are required: `11.11`, `12.0`, and `12.10`. |
| `12.10.6` | `11.3.4` | `11.3.4` -> `11.11.8` -> `12.0.12` -> `12.10.6` | Two intermediate versions are required: `11.11` and `12.0` |
| `12.9.5.` | `10.4.5` | `10.4.5` -> `10.8.7` -> `11.11.8` -> `12.0.12` -> `12.9.5` | Three intermediate versions are required: `10.8`, `11.11`, and `12.0`, then `12.9.5` |
| `12.9.5` | `10.4.5` | `10.4.5` -> `10.8.7` -> `11.11.8` -> `12.0.12` -> `12.9.5` | Three intermediate versions are required: `10.8`, `11.11`, and `12.0`, then `12.9.5` |
| `12.2.5` | `9.2.6` | `9.2.6` -> `9.5.10` -> `10.8.7` -> `11.11.8` -> `12.0.12` -> `12.2.5` | Four intermediate versions are required: `9.5`, `10.8`, `11.11`, `12.0`, then `12.2`. |
| `11.3.4` | `8.13.4` | `8.13.4` -> `8.17.7` -> `9.5.10` -> `10.8.7` -> `11.3.4` | `8.17.7` is the last version in version 8, `9.5.10` is the last version in version 9, `10.8.7` is the last version in version 10. |
### Upgrades from versions earlier than 8.12
-`8.11.x` and earlier: you might have to upgrade to `8.12.0` specifically before you can
upgrade to `8.17.7`. This was [reported in an issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/207259).
-`8.11.x` and earlier: you might have to upgrade to `8.12.0` specifically before you can upgrade to `8.17.7`. This was [reported in an issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/207259).
-[CI changes prior to version 8.0](https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus/update/README.html#updating-gitlab-ci-from-prior-540-to-version-714-via-omnibus-gitlab)
when it was merged into GitLab.
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@@ -155,11 +154,11 @@ and support cost.
1. Supporting parallel version discourages incremental upgrades which over time accumulate in
complexity and create upgrade challenges for all users. GitLab has a dedicated team ensuring that
incremental upgrades (and installations) are as simple as possible.
1. The number of changes created in the GitLab application is high, which contributes to backporting complexity to older releases. In number of cases, backporting has to go through the same
1. The number of changes created in the GitLab application is high, which contributes to backporting complexity to older releases. In several cases, backporting has to go through the same
review process a new change goes through.
1. Ensuring that tests pass on older release is a considerable challenge in some cases, and as such is very time consuming.
1. Ensuring that tests pass on the older release is a considerable challenge in some cases, and as such is very time-consuming.
Including new features in patch releases is not possible as that would break [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
Including new features in a patch release is not possible as that would break [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
Breaking [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/) has the following consequences for users that
have to adhere to various internal requirements (for example, org. compliance, verifying new features, and similar):
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@@ -169,7 +168,7 @@ have to adhere to various internal requirements (for example, org. compliance, v
In cases where a strategic user has a requirement to test a feature before it is
officially released, we can offer to create a Release Candidate (RC) version that will
include the specific feature. This should be needed only in extreme cases, and can be requested for
include the specific feature. This should be needed only in extreme cases and can be requested for
consideration by raising an issue in the [release/tasks](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/release/tasks/-/issues/new?issuable_template=Backporting-request) issue tracker.
It is important to note that the Release Candidate will also contain other features and changes as
it is not possible to easily isolate a specific feature (similar reasons as noted above). The
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@@ -179,7 +178,7 @@ accessible.
### Backporting to older releases
Backporting to more than one stable release is reserved for [security releases](#security-releases).
In some cases however, we may need to backport *a bug fix* to more than one stable
In some cases, however, we may need to backport *a bug fix* to more than one stable
release, depending on the severity of the bug.
The decision on whether backporting a change will be performed is done at the discretion of the
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@@ -220,12 +219,11 @@ This decision is made on a case-by-case basis.
