To ensure we have an accurate understanding of the matter I'm going to focus solely on WHM. The information applies in a similar way to the cPanel interface.
Version Information Displayed
It is my understanding the matter under discussion is the display of the version information as presented in the upper right corner of WHM. For years this display contained information like:
cPanel 11.25.0-S46156 - WHM 11.25.0 - X 3.9
As of the release of cPanel 11.26 this display changed to something like:
WHM 11.26.0
The information displayed is obtained from the product currently installed on the server. As such it may not be a reflection of your chosen upgrade tier. The following is an example of this, using the older style version display.
At this point it is important to note the following:
For reliable information about the configured tier for a particular server, consult one of the following:
Now let's focus on the changes introduced in cPanel 11.26 and later. Earlier in the thread we linked to the cPanel/WHM Versions and Release Process that explained our new version numbering. As part of this we also simplified the version numbering. Rather than having multiple version numbers, we have one that describes the product as a whole.
For example, the last release of cPanel 11.24 showed the following in WHM:
cPanel 11.24.5-S38506 - WHM 11.24.4 - X 3.9
Having multiple numbers made things confusing.
What about removal of the tier?
The tier instructs the update system where to look on the update mirror for things to download. Right now we have separate repositories for each tier, on each mirror. Also the tier name is embedded in the product within the repository. This all changes with cPanel 11.30. At that point we will introduce an overhaul to the update repositories. This overhaul will bring much needed flexibility and features that will benefit everyone in the long run. I apologize for speaking in such glowing, but vague terms, but some of the details are still being decided.
However, you will be able to learn about some of these changes at this year's cPanel conference, in various presentations. One I recommend is cPanel RPM.
Beginning with cPanel 11.30 the tier will no longer be embedded in the product installation, as it is now. We decided to remove the tier information from the version display at the same time that we switched over to the new version numbering scheme in anticipation of the change.
Now on to other points and questions raised in this thread.
Version Information Displayed
It is my understanding the matter under discussion is the display of the version information as presented in the upper right corner of WHM. For years this display contained information like:
cPanel 11.25.0-S46156 - WHM 11.25.0 - X 3.9
As of the release of cPanel 11.26 this display changed to something like:
WHM 11.26.0
The information displayed is obtained from the product currently installed on the server. As such it may not be a reflection of your chosen upgrade tier. The following is an example of this, using the older style version display.
- User configures server to use the RELEASE tier
- User initiates a cPanel Update
- After update, User refreshes his WHM display
- WHM displays the version as 11.25.0-R46156, where R represents the RELEASE tier
- User configures server to use the EDGE tier
- User refreshes his WHM display
- WHM displays the version as 11.25.0-R46156
At this point it is important to note the following:
- The version information is not affected by the tier selection until after the cPanel Update
- The version information is not a reliable gauge of the tier configured in Update Preferences
- The version information is not a reliable gauge of whether the product will update to a development or production tier
- The version information is determined solely from the installed product, not what it might be
- The version information suffices to serve, at a glance, information about the installed product, nothing more
For reliable information about the configured tier for a particular server, consult one of the following:
- The Update Preferences interface in WHM; or
- The Upgrade to Latest Version interface in WHM; or
- The /etc/cpupdate.conf file
Now let's focus on the changes introduced in cPanel 11.26 and later. Earlier in the thread we linked to the cPanel/WHM Versions and Release Process that explained our new version numbering. As part of this we also simplified the version numbering. Rather than having multiple version numbers, we have one that describes the product as a whole.
For example, the last release of cPanel 11.24 showed the following in WHM:
cPanel 11.24.5-S38506 - WHM 11.24.4 - X 3.9
Having multiple numbers made things confusing.
What about removal of the tier?
The tier instructs the update system where to look on the update mirror for things to download. Right now we have separate repositories for each tier, on each mirror. Also the tier name is embedded in the product within the repository. This all changes with cPanel 11.30. At that point we will introduce an overhaul to the update repositories. This overhaul will bring much needed flexibility and features that will benefit everyone in the long run. I apologize for speaking in such glowing, but vague terms, but some of the details are still being decided.
However, you will be able to learn about some of these changes at this year's cPanel conference, in various presentations. One I recommend is cPanel RPM.
Beginning with cPanel 11.30 the tier will no longer be embedded in the product installation, as it is now. We decided to remove the tier information from the version display at the same time that we switched over to the new version numbering scheme in anticipation of the change.
Now on to other points and questions raised in this thread.
- The Change log.
Yes, the current change log system does not handle the new versioning system well. We are in the process of replacing the current change log system with another. Once that process is complete the current awkwardness with the change log and the version numbers will not exist.
- Segmenting tiers by build IDs.
Attempting to segment the tiers according to the build numbers introduces unnecessary awkwardness and overhead.
- Are you not being bold thinking you will have no more than 9 versions before going stable?
I'm not certain where this perception comes from. If I have misread something related to this, please feel free to bring it to my attention. There are no limits to the build ID, which is the third segment of the version number. This number can increment to infinity if we so desire. The only segment we place a limit on is the second segment, which has a limit of 99.
For example, at time of writing you'll notice that one of our test releases is 11.27.72
- If the tier is not important to know, then why have different tiers?
This is explained in the cPanel/WHM Versions and Release Process I linked to earlier.
- What about those funny 5 digit numbers that are still listed on httpupdate.cpanel.net?
OK, so I made up this oneThose numbers will disappear completely from the product soon, giving us a "clean" version number.