Release & Update Policy
phpBB releases are time-based meaning we release a new minor (x.y) or major (x) update once every year around November/December. In between minor releases we release maintenance releases (x.y.z) which include bug and, when required, security fixes. On occasion we also release patch level releases (x.y.z-PLn) which fix important issues introduced in a maintenance release.
End of Maintenance
End of Maintenance (EOM) occurs to a branch 18 months after its first stable (3.x.0) release. This occurs in May each year. When this occurs we:
- Recommend you upgrade to the latest stable branch of phpBB
- Only patch security issues in new maintenance releases
- No longer allow new customisation [database] submissions except for updates to existing contributions
End of Life
End of Life (EOL) occurs to a branch 24 months after its first stable (3.x.0) release. This occurs in November each year. When this occurs we:
- Strongly recommend you upgrade your version of phpBB to the latest stable release
- No longer patch security issues
- No longer make any releases of this branch
- No longer allow contributions or updates for contributions to be submitted to our customisation database
- Begin actively purging documentation for this branch of phpBB
- Continue to provide support past EOL, with at least six months notice prior to dropping support
phpBB 3.0.x (Olympus)
phpBB 3.0.x is a special case due to the length of its time in 'maintenance period'. It will reach its 'End of Maintenance' period in May 2015 and its 'End of Life' period will occur in November 2015.
When phpBB 3.0 has reached EOM the above will apply and new modificiations (MODs) will no longer be accepted for submission into the customisation database whilst updates to existing MODs will be allowed. No new topics will be allowed in the MOD Reqeusts or MODs in Development forums. When 3.0 has reached EOL no new MOD updates will be permitted, they will be hidden from Titania (although downloadable still through the MOD Releases Forum) and the MOD 3.0 forums will be locked.
Upcoming Timetable
| Version | Release | End of Maintenance | End of Life |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0EOL | December 2007 | May 2015 | November 2015 |
| 3.1OK | November 2014 | December 2016 | June 2017 |
| 3.2DEV | Planned: July 2016 | Planned: December 2017 | Planned: June 2018 |
Contributing
If you want to contribute a bug fix and it affects all maintained branches it will go into the next maintenance release of the lowest supported branch. Therefore it will likely go into the next 3.1.x release. ( 3.1.x).
If you want to contribute a new feature it will go into the 3.2.x development branch ( master).