.. _os-release-cycle:

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OrchestraOS Release Cycle
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Image Generation Process
========================

Reference images for supported hardware are generated in CI. These images are not intended for production use; they are meant as a development starting point and, typically, as sandbox images.

Images are generated using the KAS container workflow described in :ref:`orchestra-os-quickstart`.

Release Process & Security Patch Policy
=======================================

The release process is closely aligned with the upstream Yocto release cycle. When a new LTS version is released and/or the current LTS version approaches end of life, a new release of ``meta-orchestraos`` is prepared to maintain LTS compatibility.

In addition, releases may be triggered by security needs. CVEs are monitored and, when a high-severity vulnerability affecting the system is identified and a patch is available, a new image release is produced with the fix included.

The current CVE status can be checked either in CI-generated reports or using instructions from :ref:`os-sbom`.

Detailed release schedule of Yocto:

- https://wiki.yoctoproject.org/wiki/Releases

.. important::

   Vanilla OrchestraOS (publicly available) is not intended for production deployments as-is. ``meta-orchestraos`` can be used as a reference for creating a production-grade image, but the user of this meta-layer is responsible for implementing necessary changes and additional security measures to meet project requirements. For more information, contact: contact@cthings.co