Added a version of tridge's comments on numbering to the faq.

Dan

1 files changed, 46 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/docs/samba.faq b/docs/samba.faq
index ae8abddedb4..ac3d6bc21d4 100644
--- a/docs/samba.faq
+++ b/docs/samba.faq
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Contents
 
      * SECTION ONE: General information
           All about Samba - what it is, how to get it, related sources of
-          information.
+          information, how to understand the version numbering scheme.
      * SECTION TWO: Compiling and installing Samba on a Unix host
           Common problems that arise when building and installing Samba under
           Unix.
@@ -118,6 +118,51 @@ versions of some Linux distributions, for example, do contain Samba binaries
 for that platform.
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+* 5: What do the version numbers mean?
+
+It is not recommended that you run a version of Samba with the word "alpha"
+in its name unless you know what you are doing and are willing to do some 
+debugging. Many, many people just get the latest recommended stable release 
+version and are happy. If you are brave, by all means take the plunge and 
+help with the testing and development - but don't install it on your 
+departmental server. Samba is typically very stable and safe, and this is
+mostly due to the policy of many public releases.
+
+1) when major changes are made the version number is increased. For example,
+the transition from 1.9.15 to 1.9.16. However, this version number will not
+appear immediately and people should continue to use 1.9.15 for production
+systems (see next point.)
+
+2) just after major changes are made the software is considered
+unstable, and a series of alpha releases are distributed, for example
+1.9.16alpha1. These are for testing by those who know what they are doing.
+The "alpha" in the filename will hopefully scare off those who are just
+looking for the latest version to install.
+
+3) when Andrew thinks that the alphas have stabilised to the point where he
+would recommend new users install it, he renames it to the same version
+number without the alpha, for example 1.9.16. 
+
+4) inevitably bugs are found in the "stable" releases and minor 
+patch levels are released which give us the pXX series, for example 
+1.9.16p2. 
+
+So the progression goes:
+
+			1.9.15p7 	
+			1.9.15p8
+			1.9.16alpha1
+			  :
+			1.9.16alpha20
+			1.9.16
+			1.9.16p1
+
+The above system means that whenever someone looks on our ftp site
+they will be able to grab the highest numbered release without an
+alpha in the name and be sure of getting the current recommended
+version.
+
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 * 4: What platforms are supported?
 
 Many different platforms have run Samba successfully. The platforms most widely