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56 lines
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What does a LAMMPS version mean
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The LAMMPS "version" is the date when it was released, such as 1 May
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2014. LAMMPS is updated continuously, and we aim to keep it working
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correctly and reliably at all times. You can follow its development
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in a public `git repository on GitHub <https://github.com/lammps/lammps>`_.
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Modifications of the LAMMPS source code (like bug fixes, code refactors,
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updates to existing features, or addition of new features) are organized
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into pull requests. Pull requests will be merged into the *develop*
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branch of the git repository after they pass automated testing and code
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review by the LAMMPS developers. When a sufficient number of changes
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have accumulated *and* the *develop* branch version passes an extended
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set of automated tests, we release it as a *feature release*, which are
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currently made every 4 to 8 weeks. The *release* branch of the git
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repository is updated with every such release. A summary of the most
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important changes of the patch releases are on `this website page
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<https://www.lammps.org/bug.html>`_. More detailed release notes are
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`available on GitHub <https://github.com/lammps/lammps/releases/>`_.
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Once or twice a year, we have a "stabilization period" where we apply
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only bug fixes and small, non-intrusive changes to the *develop*
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branch. At the same time, the code is subjected to more detailed and
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thorough manual testing than the default automated testing. Also,
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several variants of static code analysis are run to improve the overall
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code quality, consistency, and compliance with programming standards,
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best practices and style conventions.
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The release after such a stabilization period is called a *stable*
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version and both, the *release* and the *stable* branches are updated
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with it. Between stable releases, we collect back-ported bug fixes and
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updates from the *develop* branch in the *maintenance* branch. From the
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*maintenance* branch we make occasional update releases and update the
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*stable* branch accordingly.
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Each version of LAMMPS contains all the documented *features* up to and
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including its version date. For recently added features, we add markers
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to the documentation at which specific LAMMPS version a feature or
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keyword was added or significantly changed.
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The version date is printed to the screen and log file every time you run
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LAMMPS. It is also in the file src/version.h and in the LAMMPS
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directory name created when you unpack a tarball. And it is on the
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first page of the :doc:`manual <Manual>`.
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* If you browse the HTML pages of the online version of the LAMMPS
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manual, they will by default describe the most current feature release
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version of LAMMPS. In the navigation bar on the bottom left, there is
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the option to view instead the documentation for the most recent
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*stable* version or the documentation corresponding to the state of
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the development branch.
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* If you browse the HTML pages included in your downloaded tarball, they
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describe the version you have, which may be older than the online
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version.
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