---
title: "FreeBSD 13.0 Release Process"
sidenav: download
---

:localRel: 13.0
:localBranchHead: head
:localBranchStable: stable/13
:localBranchReleng: releng/13.0

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-current@FreeBSD.org[freebsd-current] mailing list.

// link:{handbook}glossary/#mfc-glossary[MFC] requests are no longer being accepted for {localBranchReleng}.

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

== Schedule

During the {localBranchHead} freeze, the Release Engineering Team may create ALPHA snapshots to publish for testing purposes. As the frequency and total number of the ALPHA snapshots will depend on the length of time the {localBranchHead} branch is frozen, no official schedule is provided.

Announcements regarding the availability of the ALPHA snapshots will be sent to the mailto:freebsd-current@FreeBSD.org[freebsd-current] and mailto:freebsd-snapshots@FreeBSD.org[freebsd-snapshots] mailing lists.

[.tblbasic]
[cols=",,,",options="header",]
|===
|Action |Expected |Actual |Description
|Initial release schedule announcement |- |21 July 2020 |Release Engineers send announcement email to developers with a rough schedule.
|Release schedule reminder |3 December 2020 |3 December 2020 |Release Engineers send reminder announcement e-mail to developers with updated schedule.
|Code slush begins |8 January 2021 |8 January 2021 |Release Engineers announce that all further commits to the {localBranchHead} branch will not require explicit approval, however new features should be avoided. Additionally, there can be no changes to the KBI until {localBranchHead} is branched to {localBranchStable}.
|{localBranchStable} branch |22 January 2021 |22 January 2021 |{localBranchStable} branch created; release engineering continues on this branch.
|{localBranchReleng} branch |5 February 2021 |5 February 2021 |{localBranchReleng} branch created; future release engineering proceeds on this branch. Commits to this branch require explicit approval from the Release Engineers.
|BETA1 builds begin |5 February 2021 |5 February 2021 |First beta test snapshot.
|BETA2 builds begin |12 February 2021 |12 February 2021 |Second beta test snapshot.
|BETA3 builds begin |19 February 2021 |19 February 2021 |Third beta test snapshot.
|BETA4 builds begin |26 February 2021 |26 February 2021 |Fourth beta test snapshot.
|RC1 builds begin |5 March 2021 |5 March 2021 |First release candidate.
|RC2 builds begin |12 March 2021 |12 March 2021 |Second release candidate.
|RC3 builds begin |19 March 2021 |19 March 2021 |Third release candidate.
|RC4 builds begin |26 March 2021 |29 March 2021 |Fourth release candidate.
|RC5 builds begin |2 April 2021 |2 April 2021 |Fifth release candidate.
|RELEASE builds begin |9 April 2021 |9 April 2021 |{localRel}-RELEASE builds begin.
|RELEASE announcement |13 April 2021 |13 April 2021 |{localRel}-RELEASE press release.
|Turn over to the secteam |- |27 April 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]