There are two Mender release types:
Our quality requirements for both release types are the same, the only difference between LTS and non-LTS releases is the support length. We maintain LTS releases through patch releases for one year from the release date. In contrast, non-LTS releases get patch releases only if an urgent vulnerability is found between the release date and the next release.
Keeping this distinction in mind helps decide which version to adopt and when to upgrade to a new version. In addition, ensure you are always using the latest available patch releases for the optimal operation of Mender.
Mender users Semantic Versioning, and the version numbers are in the MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
format.
We increment:
MAJOR
version when we make incompatible API changesMINOR
version when we add functionalities in a backward compatible mannerPATCH
version when we make backward compatible bug fixes to existing releasesBy design, the Mender Backend is always backward compatible with older versions of the Mender components. Therefore, incrementing the MAJOR
version means that the Mender components (generally speaking, the authentication and update components) depend on a corresponding MAJOR
version of the Management Server. However, any older Mender components will still work with a Management Server running a more recent version.
We release a new version every three months, either as a non-LTS or LTS release. We publish LTS releases approximately every six months, but version numbers (e.g., major or minor version bumps) may vary depending on the release's content. Check back here to learn which versions are part of an LTS release series.
We publish patch versions for older LTS releases roughly the same time we publish the new minor or major releases unless we discover an urgent vulnerability that requires an immediate fix.
At this time, we support the following LTS releases: 3.7.
LTS | Supported until |
---|---|
3.7 | 2025-05 |
Our meta-mender Yocto layer supports the latest two Yocto LTS releases.
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