Software Versioning

[AnLoMinus]

• Software Versioning is the process of assigning either unique version names or unique version numbers to unique states of computer software.

• Within a given version number category (e.g., major or minor), these numbers are generally assigned in increasing order and correspond to new developments in the software.

• At a fine-grained level, revision control is often used for keeping track of incrementally-different versions of information, whether or not this information is computer software.

• Major.Minor[.Build[.Revision]] (example: 1.2.12.102)

• Major.Minor[.Maintenance[.Build]] (example: 1.4.3.5249)

Semantic versioning three-part version number

Comparison of development stage indicators

Stage	Semver	Num. Status	Num 90+
Alpha	1.2.0-a.1	1.2.0.1	1.1.90
Beta	1.2.0-b.2	1.2.1.2	1.1.93
Release candidate	1.2.0-rc.3	1.2.2.3	1.1.97
Release	1.2.0	1.2.3.0	1.2.0
Post-release fixes	1.2.5	1.2.3.5	1.2.5

---

Content Table

• 1 Hotfix
• 2 Point release
• 3 Program temporary fix
• 4 Security patches
• 5 Service pack
• 6 Unofficial patches
• 7 Monkey patches

Hotfix

• Main article: Hotfix A hotfix or Quick Fix Engineering update (QFE update) is a single, cumulative package that includes information (often in the form of one or more files) that is used to address a problem in a software product (i.e., a software bug).

• Typically, hotfixes are made to address a specific customer situation.
  Microsoft once used this term but has stopped in favor of new terminology:
  General Distribution Release (GDR) and Limited Distribution Release (LDR).

• Blizzard Entertainment, however, defines a hotfix as "a change made to the game deemed critical enough that it cannot be held off until a regular content patch".

Point release

• Main article: Point release A point release is a minor release of a software project, especially one intended to fix bugs or do small cleanups rather than add significant features.

• Often, there are too many bugs to be fixed in a single major or minor release, creating a need for a point release.

Program temporary fix

• Main article: Program temporary fix Program temporary fix or Product temporary fix (PTF), depending on date, is the standard IBM terminology for a single bug fix, or group of fixes, distributed in a form ready to install for customers.

• A PTF was sometimes referred to as a “ZAP”.[9] Customers sometime explain the acronym in a tongue-in-cheek manner as permanent temporary fix or more practically probably this fixes, because they have the option to make the PTF a permanent part of the operating system if the patch fixes the problem.

Security patches

• A security patch is a change applied to an asset to correct the weakness described by a vulnerability.

• This corrective action will prevent successful exploitation and remove or mitigate a threat's capability to exploit a specific vulnerability in an asset. Patch management is a part of vulnerability management – the cyclical practice of identifying, classifying, remediating, and mitigating vulnerabilities.

• Security patches are the primary method of fixing security vulnerabilities in software.

  • Currently Microsoft releases its security patches once a month, and other operating systems and software projects have security teams dedicated to releasing the most reliable software patches as soon after a vulnerability announcement as possible.
  • Security patches are closely tied to responsible disclosure.

• These security patches are critical to ensure that business process does not get affected. In 2017, companies were struck by a ransomware called WannaCry which encrypts files in certain versions of Microsoft Windows and demands a ransom via BitCoin.

  • In response to this, Microsoft released a patch which stops the ransomware from running.

Service pack

• Main article: Service pack A service pack or SP or a feature pack (FP) comprises a collection of updates, fixes, or enhancements to a software program delivered in the form of a single installable package.

• Companies often release a service pack when the number of individual patches to a given program reaches a certain (arbitrary) limit, or the software release has shown to be stabilized with a limited number of remaining issues based on users' feedback and bug tracking such as Bugzilla.

• In large software applications such as office suites, operating systems, database software, or network management, it is not uncommon to have a service pack issued within the first year or two of a product's release.

• Installing a service pack is easier and less error-prone than installing many individual patches, even more so when updating multiple computers over a network, where service packs are common.

Unofficial patches

• Main article: Unofficial patch An unofficial patch is a patch for a program written by a third party instead of the original developer.

• Similar to an ordinary patch, it alleviates bugs or shortcomings.\

• Examples are security fixes by security specialists when an official patch by the software producers itself takes too long.

• Other examples are unofficial patches created by the game community of a video game which became unsupported

Monkey patches

• Main article: Monkey patch Monkey patching means extending or modifying a program locally (affecting only the running instance of the program).

Hot patching

• Main article: Dynamic software updating Hot patching, also known as live patching or dynamic software updating, is the application of patches without shutting down and restarting the system or the program concerned.
• This addresses problems related to unavailability of service provided by the system or the program.
• Method can be used to update Linux kernel without stopping the system.