Salt 3006 RC1 is available
The Salt Project has just released RC1 (release candidate 1) of the Salt 3006 LTS. To download and test Salt 3006 RC1, see Install a release candidate in the Salt install guide. To access the release candidate packages directly, go to the Salt Project Package Repository.
What is the new LTS/STS release strategy for Salt?
3006 is the first LTS release of Salt based on a new release strategy as defined in this Salt Enhancement Proposal. Using this new release strategy, Salt Project will release one LTS (long-term support) release of Salt per year and one STS (short-term support) release each year. The LTS release will receive bug fix releases for a longer period of time than STS releases.
The purpose of the LTS release is to provide users with a stable version of Salt for a longer period (2 years). The purpose of the STS release is to provide a feature release to users who need or prefer access to the latest features in between LTS releases.
| LTS release | STS release | |
|---|---|---|
| Release schedule | –Released once a year, usually in the first 4 months of the calendar year –1-2 release candidates in the months leading up to the release –Point releases every 3 months after the GA release | –Released once a year around the midpoint the year |
| Support schedule | –Active support for 1 full year, including rolling updates of bug fixes every quarter –CVE and critical fixes support for an additional year | –Active support for 3 months –CVE and critical fixes support for an additional 3 months |
| Feature development schedule | 6 months prior to release | 6 months prior to release |
| Use case | Best for users who: –Need or prefer a stable, thoroughly tested and well-supported release –Prefer stable releases over access to the latest features –Require longer time periods to plan and implement Salt infrastructure upgrades | Best for users who: –Need or prefer access to new features in between LTS releases –Are comfortable assuming a small amount of risk as a trade-off for access to the latest features |
Release timeline
The following graphic shows the LTS/STS release strategy timeline for two years of the development and release cycle:
How are the support levels defined?
Active support is defined as:
- Salt Project will issue regular point releases with critical bug fixes.
- Improved software functionality may be provided at the discretion of the project.
- Point releases will include the content of previously released updates.
- The focus of point releases will be high and critical bugs.
CVE and critical support is defined as:
- Salt Project may release point releases with fixes for selected CVEs.
- Fixes in newer branches will not be back ported.
- The focus of point releases will be critical CVEs and breaking fixes that are caused by CVE fixes.
What action is needed from Salt users and community members?
The Salt Project strongly encourages Salt community members, users, and stakeholders to carefully test RC1 (release candidate 1) and report any bugs or performance issues to the Salt team prior to the LTS release to ensure final release quality.
To download and test the release candidate: see Install a release candidate in the Salt install guide. To access the release candidate packages directly, go to the Salt Project Package Repository.