FreeBSD, a well-known and widely accepted Unix-based operating system, has disclosed substantial modifications to its release timetable and maintenance periods.

Colin Percival, the chief of release engineering at FreeBSD, publicized these adaptations in a recent message to the community. Here they are.

Brief Support Durations

Commencing with FreeBSD 15.x, the duration of support for stable branches will be shortened from five years to four years after the initial launch.

This adjustment is formulated to better harmonize with the capabilities of FreeBSD’s security and ports teams, which encounter difficulties managing more than two stable branches concurrently.

More Regular and Anticipated Releases

Furthermore, FreeBSD is introducing a more foreseeable release timetable. Going forward, the project will witness a new minor version release from one of the supported stable branches almost every quarter.

Under the updated plan, the release procedure typically involves three BETA editions and one Release Candidate, a streamlining from the former schedule that could encompass up to six RCs.

Percival, who assumed the role of the release engineering leader in November 2023, elucidated that these modifications stemmed from an exhaustive review of the release procedure and calendar.

Increasing the frequency of releases will further aid the release process,
as there will be reduced pressure to add the “final feature” if the next
minor release is only 6 months away rather than a year or more away.

The revised procedure aims to pinpoint when the release cycle commences, furnishing invaluable estimates for long-term planning even though exact release dates may shift to accommodate crucial bug fixes.

Timeline for Forthcoming Releases

The revised calendar delineates several forthcoming releases, including:

• FreeBSD 13.4 in September 2024, ending support in June 2025.
• FreeBSD 13.5 in March 2025, support cessation in April 2026.
• FreeBSD 14.1 in June 2024, support ending in March 2025.
• FreeBSD 14.2 in December 2024, support discontinuation in September 2025.
• FreeBSD 14.3 in June 2025, support ceasing in June 2026.
• FreeBSD 14.4 in March 2026, support conclusion in December 2026.
• FreeBSD 14.5 in September 2026, support termination in June 2027.
• FreeBSD 14.6 in March 2027, support cutoff in November 2028.
• FreeBSD 15.0, a significant release, is slated for December 2025, with support ending in September 2026.

We affirm that FreeBSD versions 13.5 and 14.6 are upheld until five years following 13.0 and 14.0, respectively.

This structured timetable guarantees that each phase—from the code freeze to the final release—happens within a quarter, facilitating smoother transitions and improved predictability.

The clarity in the release schedule is projected to boost FreeBSD’s comprehensive stability and security by enabling more frequent updates and swift integration of new features and patches.

For more detailed insights, please visit the official announcement.