There will be two HTCondor versions available at any given time, a "stable series" version, and a "development series" version. People expecting a stable production system should obviously download the stable version; most people are encouraged to use this version. We will only offer our paid support for versions of HTCondor from the stable release series. Only people who are interested in the latest research, including new features that haven't been fully tested, should download the development version. We will make our best effort to ensure that the development series works, but we can make no guarantees.
Every HTCondor version number consists of three period-separated numerals:
- The first number represents the major version number, and will change very infrequently.
- The second number determines whether a version of HTCondor is "stable" or "development". Even numbers represent stable versions, while odd numbers represent development versions.
- The final number represents the minor version (aka point release number) within that series.
So, for example, v8.7.3 would represent the third release in the v8.7 development series, and v8.8.0 would represent the first release in the v8.8 stable series.
On the stable series, new minor version releases will only be made for bug fixes. No new enhancements will be added to the stable series in order to minimize any chance of regressions. Futhermore, all releases on the same stable series are interoperable within the same HTCondor pool. People are encouraged to install new stable versions of HTCondor when they appear, since they probably fix bugs that affect you.
On the development series, new minor version releases will contain all bug fixes to date from the stable series, plus new features / enhancements. While we try very hard to make certain releases within the same development series are compatible in the same pool, we do not guarantee compatibility like we do in the stable series (sometimes adding new features requires us to break backwards compatibility).
After the feature set of the development series is satisfactory to the HTCondor Team, we will put a code freeze in place, and from that point forward only bug fixes will be made to that development series. When we have fully tested this version, we will release a new stable series, reset the minor version number, and start work on a new development release from there.
For example, 8.2.0, was the first release of the "8.2" stable series. Some bugs were found and fixed, resulting in release of 8.2.1. While 8.2.1 was available, we worked on the "8.3" development series, and soon, a "8.3.0" development version was available for those who wanted new enhancements. Other versions of 8.3 followed quickly, with lots of changes, new features, etc. When the dust settled a year later, we froze the 8.3 series, went into beta testing and finally, when we were happy with everything, released 8.4.0, the next stable series, containing all the bug fixes from 8.2.x and all the new features from 8.3.x. At that point, we began work on the 8.5 development series and the whole process was repeated...
As usual, if you have any questions about any of this, please send them to htcondor-admin@cs.wisc.edu