Have a better description for the EOL timeline?

[Mikke]

Hi,

 

I think it'd be useful to understand the timeline of when a release will become EOL (if someone's considering buying the non-lifetime license, for example).  Because for me, that's a big point before I try a commercial project: I don't want to invest whatsoever until I understand the long-term costs and security implications if I eventually decide to "cheapen out".

 

It's clear on the FAQ that a release becomes EOL after two new minor releases ("if you're on 7.1.x, you'll stop getting security updates when 7.3.x is released"), but when/how often are new releases usually slated?  Ubuntu for example is logical with their date-based EOL, but it's not as straightforward on Unraid.

 

When I read "free OS Updates for one year" on the pricing page, my first thought is "oh, so I'm going to need to pay at least $36 around this time next year if I want to keep my system secure...?"; whereas in reality, this automatic logic is flawed, because it's probable there will be a new minor Unraid release within the next 12 months (6.11.0 released September 2022, and 6.12.0 in June 2023), AND even then it'd be another 2 minor releases after expiration that it'd even be on an EOL release.

 

How you understand what I mean: after digging deeper, I understand that my initial logic was wrong, but I can imagine other prospective customers might have the same logic and it might dissuade them from trying Unraid.  Cheers!

[itimpi]

1 hour ago, Mikke said:

when/how often are new releases usually slated?

This has in the past been nothing like a fixed time.   I seem to remember it varying between about 3 months and 12 months.     Whether this will become more predictable (and if it does what the intervals are likely to be) I have no idea. 

 

Limetech have improved over their initial suggested offering (as you noticed) in that you are still entitled to any patch releases that are produced for your current release even if the support period on your licence has expired.