A-Shell is an evolving software product, meaning that it is always changing. The developers of A-Shell work on it constantly, and new versions are churned out several times a month.
In order to bring some degree of order to what otherwise might be a fairly chaotic and never-ending confusion about updates, the A-Shell versions are segregated into two major categories:
| • | Stable: The stable version of A-Shell has not changed since its formal release date, which is usually months or years in the past. The software is being used by many firms, is recommended by MicroSabio, and can be counted on to not change. It is stable, dependable, reliable, risk-free. The only exception to the not-changing rule is bug fixes, which are usually minor and obscure. |
| • | Development: The development version changes weekly or even daily, and incorporates an endless stream of improvements and new features. These changes rarely have any effect on existing programs, but it is at least possible that they might. Therefore, the development version is intended primarily for software developers who are interested in the latest features and improvements in A-Shell. |
For most users of A-Shell and in most circumstances, the stable version is preferred. Although some organizations want to always have the latest and greatest version of the program, most prefer the stable version because it eliminates most of the risk of something going wrong. That risk is very low even with the development version, but it is even less with the stable version.
To determine what numerical versions equate to the current stable and development systems, please see the A-Shell downloads page here.
Version Numbering
A-Shell's version number consists of three parts, separated by periods. For example: 6.5.1688.
| • | First digit: in over twenty years of development (as of 2020), A-Shell has had six "major major" version number changes. The current one is "6," and that will likely remain true for quite a while. |
| • | Second digit: this indicates a "major" release of A-Shell. Also, there's another important element to this digit: |
EVEN numbered versions are stable/finished, ODD numbered versions were those under development. So A-Shell 4.7, 5.1, and 6.3, for example, were all development releases, whereas 4.6, 5.0, 6.2, etc., were all stable releases.
| • | Third digit: this indicates the "build" number of A-Shell, and shows at a glance how many times A-Shell has been recompiled / rebuilt and released to the world since its origin. |
To determine the version number of your currently-running version of A-Shell, enter ABOUT, SYSTAT or LICENS at the A-Shell prompt.
Updating
A-Shell is used in many different ways by many different kinds of organizations. Some have in-house programmers and technicians that keep A-Shell up to date, others rely on consultants or advisors, some have relationships with a computer dealer or reseller or other firm. You should make sure that the responsible person or firm is the one updating A-Shell.
Subtopics
•Which Version Should I Be Using?
