---
title: "FreeBSD 12.3 Release Process"
sidenav: download
---

:localRel: 12.3
:localBranchStable: stable/12
:localBranchReleng: releng/12.3

include::shared/en/urls.adoc[]

= FreeBSD {localRel} Release Process

== Introduction

This is the release schedule for FreeBSD {localRel}. For more information about the release engineering process, please see the link:../../../releng/[Release Engineering] section of the web site.

General discussions about the pending release and known issues should be sent to the public mailto:FreeBSD-stable@FreeBSD.org[freebsd-stable] mailing list.
link:{handbook}glossary/#mfc-glossary[MFC] requests are no longer being accepted.

//link:{handbook}glossary/#mfc-glossary[MFC] requests should be sent to link:mailto:re@FreeBSD.org[re@FreeBSD.org].

== Schedule

[.tblbasic]
[cols=",,,",options="header",]
|===
|Action |Expected |Actual |Description
|Initial release schedule announcement |- |20 September 2021 |Release Engineers send announcement email to developers with a rough schedule.
|Release schedule reminder |30 September 2021 |1 October 2021 |Release Engineers send reminder announcement e-mail to developers with updated schedule.
|Code slush begins |7 October 2021 |7 October 2021 |Release Engineers announce that all further commits to the {localBranchStable} branch will not require explicit approval, however new features should be avoided.
|{localBranchReleng} branch |21 October 2021 |21 October 2021 |{localBranchReleng} branch created; future release engineering proceeds on this branch.
|BETA1 builds begin |21 October 2021 |21 October 2021 |First beta test snapshot.
|BETA2 builds begin |28 October 2021 |28 October 2021 |Second beta test snapshot.
|BETA3 builds begin |4 November 2021 |4 November 2021 |Third beta test snapshot.
|RC1 builds begin |11 November 2021 |11 November 2021 |First release candidate.
|RC2 builds begin |18 November 2021 |18 November 2021 |Second release candidate.
|RC3 builds begin |25 November 2021 |(not needed) |Third release candidate.
|RELEASE builds begin |2 December 2021 |2 December 2021 |{localRel}-RELEASE builds begin.
|RELEASE announcement |7 December 2021 |7 December 2021 |{localRel}-RELEASE press release.
|Turn over to the secteam |- |22 December 2021 |{localBranchReleng} branch is handed over to the FreeBSD Security Officer Team in one or two weeks after the announcement.
|===

"*" indicates "as-needed" items.

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== Status / TODO
link:todo/[FreeBSD Release Engineering TODO Page]
////

== Additional Information

* link:../../../releng/[FreeBSD Release Engineering website]