====== Choosing a version of FreeBSD – operating system branches, code quality, lifespans, and support ======

Each //release// of FreeBSD is the end result of periodic special attention – release engineering – to a ''releng'' branch of the code for the OS.
===== Support =====

With the [[https://www.freebsd.org/security/#model|five-year support model]] that was established in 2015, two or more major versions may be supported at any one time. 2024 changes to the model are [[https://wiki.bsd.cafe/docs:freebsd:choose#further_reading|noted below]].

Major versions 13 and 14 are supported.

13 has:

  * a long lifespan – the ''stable/13''  branch
  * two supported releases – **13.4-RELEASE**  and **13.5-RELEASE**  on the ''releng/13.4''  and ''releng/13.5''  branches.

14 has:

  * a longer lifespan – the ''stable/14''  branch
  * two supported releases – **14.1-RELEASE**  and **14.2-RELEASE**  on the ''releng/14.1''  and ''releng/14.2''  branches.

FreeBSD 14.2-RELEASE is recommended for new installations. All other supported versions of RELEASE are //legacy//.


===== Visualising CURRENT (the main branch) and RELEASE (releng branches) =====

Adapted from the timelines at [[https://codeberg.org/FreeBSD/freebsd-src/src/commit/96c567f972e05c47cd239b6c9226354e808f039b/share/misc/bsd-family-tree#L417-L462|https://codeberg.org/FreeBSD/freebsd-src/src/commit/96c567f972e05c47cd239b6c9226354e808f039b/share/misc/bsd-family-tree#L417-L462]]:
<code>

   |   |
   |  12.2 (end-of-life)
   |   |
   |    `------.
   |           |
   *- 13.0     |
   |  (EOL)    |
   |   |       |
   |   |    12.3 (EOL)
   |   |       |
   |  13.1     |
   |  (EOL)    |
   |   |       |
   |   |  ‖ 12.4 (EOL)   ‖
   |   |  ╚==============╝
   |   |
   |  13.2 (EOL)
   |   |
   |    `------.
   |           |
   *- 14.0     |
   |  (EOL)    |
   |   |       |
   |   |    13.3 (EOL)
   |   |       |
   |  14.1-    |
   |  RELEASE  |
   |   |       |
   |   |    13.4-RELEASE
   |   |       |
   |  14.2-    |
   |  RELEASE  |
   |   |       |
   |   |  ‖ 13.5-RELEASE ‖
   |   |  ╚==============╝
   |   |
   |
15.0-CURRENT (main branch)

</code>

  * FreeBSD 12.⋯ releases are end-of-life ([[https://www.freebsd.org/security/unsupported/|no longer supported]])
  * FreeBSD 13.0-RELEASE, 13.1-RELEASE, 13.2-RELEASE, and 13.3-RELEASE are similarly EOL
  * FreeBSD 13.4-RELEASE is supported
  * FreeBSD 13.5-RELEASE is supported, there will be no 13.6
  * FreeBSD 14.0-RELEASE is EOL
  * FreeBSD 14.1-RELEASE is supported
  * FreeBSD 14.2-RELEASE is supported
  * FreeBSD 15.0-CURRENT is latest.


===== 15.0-CURRENT and other development versions of FreeBSD =====

[[https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=freebsd-update&sektion=8&manpath=freebsd-release|freebsd-update(8)]]:

  * simplifies updates and upgrades with prerelease (ALPHA, BETA, RC (release candidate)) and with RELEASE
  * can **not**  be used with STABLE or CURRENT.

pkgbase:

  * simplifies updates and upgrades for everything excluding 13.

[[https://www.freebsd.org/security/notices/|Errata notices]] and [[https://www.freebsd.org/security/advisories/|security advisories]]:

  * cover releases and associated stable branches
  * do **not**  cover CURRENT.


===== FreshBSD views of branches =====

  * [[https://freshbsd.org/freebsd/src/branch/stable/13|stable/13]]
  * [[https://freshbsd.org/freebsd/src/branch/releng/13.4|releng/13.4]]
  * [[https://freshbsd.org/freebsd/src/branch/releng/13.5|releng/13.5]]
  * [[https://freshbsd.org/freebsd/src/branch/stable/14|stable/14]]
  * [[https://freshbsd.org/freebsd/src/branch/releng/14.1|releng/14.1]]
  * [[https://freshbsd.org/freebsd/src/branch/releng/14.2|releng/14.2]]
  * [[https://freshbsd.org/freebsd/src/branch/main|main]] – FreeBSD-CURRENT

===== Further reading =====

  * [[https://wiki.freebsd.org/PkgBase|pkgbase]] – the FreeBSD base operating system (OS), //packaged//
  * [[https://github.com/ifreund/pkgbasify|pkgbasify]] – automatically convert a FreeBSD system to use pkgbase – [[https://old.reddit.com/r/freebsd/comments/1ixa78u/pkgbasify_automatically_convert_a_freebsd_system/|discussion]]
  * [[https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/book/#updating-upgrading-freebsdupdate|FreeBSD Update]] in the FreeBSD Handbook
  * [[https://www.freebsd.org/snapshots/|FreeBSD Snapshot Releases]]
  * [[https://www.freebsd.org/releng/charter/|Charter for the Release Engineering Team]]
  * [[https://lists.freebsd.org/archives/freebsd-announce/2024-July/000143.html|Change to FreeBSD release scheduling and support period]] (2024)
  * [[https://freebsdfoundation.org/blog/navigating-freebsds-new-quarterly-and-biennial-release-schedule/|Navigating FreeBSD’s New Quarterly and Biennial Release Schedule | FreeBSD Foundation]]