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Version Support

Overview

Presto is maintained by volunteers. This document describes which versions receive support and what level of support to expect.

Support Philosophy

  • Data correctness issues are taken extremely seriously and typically fixed quickly
  • Runtime bugs and security vulnerabilities are prioritized and addressed promptly
  • Support depends on volunteer availability - no formal SLAs
  • Users are encouraged to contribute fixes for issues affecting them

Current Version Support

Latest Release
  • Primary focus for bug fixes
  • Recommended for new deployments after testing
Past 4 Releases (N-1 through N-4)
  • Critical fixes only when:
    • Data correctness issues are found
    • Volunteers are available to backport
  • Patch releases for severe issues only
  • Support decreases with age
Older Releases (N-5 and earlier)
  • Not supported
  • Exceptions only when:
    • Volunteer provides the backport
    • Fix applies cleanly
    • Testing is available
  • Upgrade required
Trunk/Master Branch
  • Development branch
  • Never use in production
  • Contains experimental features and bugs
  • For testing upcoming changes only
Edge Releases
  • Weekly builds from master
  • Never use in production
  • Not supported - no fixes provided
  • For testing upcoming features

Support Lifecycle

Timeframes are approximate and depend on volunteer availability.

A typical release follows this lifecycle:

  1. Release Candidates (2-4 weeks)
    • One RC version per release
    • Active bug fixing with fixes verified in the existing RC
    • High community engagement
  2. Current Release (approximately 2 months)
    • Primary focus for bug fixes
    • Active monitoring for issues
    • Most community attention
  3. Supported Releases (N-1 through N-4, approximately 8 months)
    • Critical fixes only
    • Progressively reduced community focus
    • Patch releases for severe issues become less likely with age
  4. Archived (N-5 and older)

Types of Support

Bug Fixes

Highest priority (typically fixed very quickly):

  • Data correctness issues - taken extremely seriously

High priority:

  • Runtime bugs and crashes
  • Severe performance regressions

Lower priority:

  • Minor performance issues
  • UI/cosmetic problems
  • Feature enhancements
Security Vulnerabilities
  • Upgrade to latest release (default recommendation)
  • Patches for N-1 through N-4 available upon request
  • Backport availability depends on volunteers and severity
  • Plan to upgrade rather than rely on backports
Documentation
  • Release notes and full documentation for all versions remain available
  • Migration guides for major changes
  • Community-contributed upgrade experiences

Getting Support

Community Channels

Self-Support Resources

  • Release notes and documentation
  • Community Slack search history
  • GitHub issues and pull requests
  • Stack Overflow questions tagged 'presto'

Recommendations for Production Use

Version Selection

  1. For new deployments: Use the latest stable release after thorough testing
  2. For existing deployments: Stay within 4 versions of the latest release
  3. For conservative environments: Wait for at least one patch release (if any) before upgrading
  4. Never use trunk/master or edge in production

Upgrade Strategy

  • Plan regular upgrades (every 2-4 months)
  • Test thoroughly in staging environments
  • Monitor community channels for known issues
  • Maintain ability to rollback if needed
  • Consider skipping releases if stable (but don't fall too far behind)

Risk Mitigation

  • Maintain test environments matching production
  • Participate in release candidate testing
  • Monitor community discussions for your version
  • Contribute test cases for critical workflows

Contributing to Support

Ways to contribute:

Report Issues
  • File detailed bug reports with reproduction steps on GitHub Issues
  • Test fixes and provide feedback
  • Share workarounds with the community
Contribute Fixes
  • Submit pull requests for bugs affecting you
  • Help review and test others' fixes
  • Backport critical fixes to versions you use
Share Knowledge
Sponsor Development
  • Allocate engineering resources to the project
  • Fund specific feature development
  • Support maintainers and release shepherds

Special Considerations

Long-Term Support (LTS)
  • Not available
  • Volunteer model incompatible with LTS commitments
End-of-Life Announcements
  • No formal EOL process
  • Versions become unsupported as community moves forward
  • Check release announcements for migration guidance
Compatibility
  • Breaking changes documented in release notes
  • Migration guides provided for major changes
  • Test when upgrading across multiple versions

Support Expectations

Available:

  • Typically quick response to data correctness and runtime bugs
  • Priority focus on critical issues
  • Active community troubleshooting help
  • Transparency about known issues
  • Documentation for old versions

Not Available:

  • Guaranteed response times
  • Fixes for all issues
  • Support for old versions
  • Feature backports
  • 24/7 support

Summary

Running Presto in production requires:

  • Regular upgrades (every 2-4 months)
  • Thorough testing before deploying
  • Understanding that support is volunteer-based
  • Contributing fixes for issues you encounter