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This proposal comes from the following thread started by Stephen Gallagher on the server mailing list:
Thoughts on Fedora Server lifecycle
A relevant earlier proposal that is similar is Tom Callaway's Overhauling the Fedora Release Model talk from FUDCon Lawrence in January 2013.
Lifecycle Timeframe
I'm going to propose a lifecycle of eighteen months (with slight extensions for slippage) as follows.
Let's start talking about Fedora Server 1.0 (rather than Fedora Server 21).
In my view of the world, we would build the Base Design as Fedora 21, Fedora 22 and Fedora 23 following mechanisms not terribly dissimilar to the present-day model. We would then create the Fedora Server atop this, delayed by a small amount < 1 month).
We would use the latest Fedora Base bits as the platform and sync our pieces atop it at regular intervals, aiming for a finalized release every eighteen months.
- Let's start the discussion from Fedora 21. We would follow the Fedora 21 process closely until the base design is declared final (much as current Fedora is now). Ideally at the same time (but possibly delayed by up to a month), we would release "Fedora Server 1.0 Preview 1". This would be a complete, installable server operating system, but make it clear that it's a preview release that may not represent the final product.
- At Fedora 22, we release "Fedora Server 1.0 Preview 2", with the same caveats.
- However, at Fedora 23, we release "Fedora Server 1.0". At this time, we agree to freeze the interfaces and make clear demands on backwards-compatibility. For the remaining life of Fedora Server 1.x, it will be a stable platform (and understood to be extremely conservative with its updates).
- At Fedora 24, we now release two things: "Fedora Server 1.1", which will just be an updated installer with the latest versions of any package updates that have occurred in the standard install since Fedora Server 1.0". We will also release "Fedora Server 2.0 Preview 1", following the same guidelines as above.
- Fedora 25 would offer the "Fedora Server 1.2" updates roll-up and "Fedora Server 2.0 Preview 2."
- Finally, Fedora 26 would offer only "Fedora Server 2.0" as install media. At this time, Fedora Server 1.0 would become "security-fixes only" for the six months until Fedora Server 2.1 (to allow overlap to upgrade). As of Fedora Server N.1 of any release, the N-1 series is abandoned.