# Downloads

- Project modules
- Primary release schedule
- Release numbering
- Maintenance releases
- GIT source repository

## Project modules

The libvirt project maintains a number of inter-related modules beyond the core C library/daemon.

Module | Releases | GIT Repo | GIT Mirrors | Resources
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
libvirt | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github | api ref changes
Language bindings
C# | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Go | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github | api ref
Java | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
OCaml | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Perl (Sys::Virt) | cpan | libvirt | gitlab github | api ref changes
PHP | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Python | libvirt pypi | libvirt | gitlab github |
Ruby | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Rust | crates.io | libvirt | gitlab github | api ref
Integration modules
GLib / GConfig / GObject | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Go XML | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github | api ref
D-Bus | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Console Proxy | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
CIM provider | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
CIM utils | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
SNMP | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Application Sandbox | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Testing
TCK | libvirt | libvirt | gitlab github |
Test API |  | libvirt | gitlab github |
Jenkins Config |  | libvirt | gitlab github |
CIM Test |  | libvirt | gitlab github |
Documentation
Publican Brand |  | libvirt | gitlab github |
App Development Guide |  | libvirt | gitlab github |
App Development Guide Python |  | libvirt | gitlab github |
virsh Command Reference |  | libvirt | gitlab github |

## Primary download site

Most modules have releases made available for download on the project site via HTTPS. Some modules are instead made available at alternative locations, for example, the Perl binding is made available only on CPAN.

- libvirt.org HTTPS server

## Primary release schedule

The core libvirt module follows a time based plan, with releases made once a month on the 1st of each month give or take a few days. The only exception is at the start of the year where there are two 6 weeks gaps (first release in the middle of Jan, then skip the Feb release), giving a total of 11 releases a year. The Python and Perl modules will aim to release at the same time as the core libvirt module. Other modules have independent ad-hoc releases with no fixed time schedule.

## Release numbering

Since libvirt 2.0.0, a time based version numbering rule is applied to the core library releases. As such, the changes in version number have do not have any implications with respect to the scope of features or bugfixes included, the stability of the code, or the API / ABI compatibility (libvirt API / ABI is guaranteed stable forever). The rules applied for changing the libvirt version number are:

`major`
  incremented by 1 for the first release of the year (the Jan 15th release)
`minor`
  reset to 0 with every major increment, otherwise incremented by 1 for each monthly release from git master
`micro`
  always 0 for releases from git master, incremented by 1 for each stable maintenance release

Prior to 2.0.0, the major/minor numbers were incremented fairly arbitrarily, and maintenance releases appended a fourth digit. The language bindings will aim to use the same version number as the most recent core library API they support. The other modules have their own distinct release numbering sequence, though they generally aim to follow the above rules for incrementing major/minor/micro digits.

## Maintenance releases

In the git repository are several stable maintenance branches for the core library, matching the pattern `vmajor.minor-maint`; these branches are forked off the corresponding `vmajor.minor.0` formal release, and may have further releases of the form `vmajor.minor.micro`. These maintenance branches should only contain bug fixes, and no new features, backported from the master branch, and are supported as long as at least one downstream distribution expresses interest in a given branch. These maintenance branches are considered during CVE analysis. In contrast to the primary releases which are made once a month, there is no formal schedule for the maintenance releases, which are made whenever there is a need to make available key bugfixes to downstream consumers. The language bindings and other modules generally do not provide stable branch releases.

For more details about contents of maintenance releases, see the wiki page.

## GIT source repository

All modules maintained by the libvirt project have their primary source available in the project GIT server. Each module can be cloned anonymously using:

    git clone https://libvirt.org/git/[module name].git

The `git://` protocol is also available if desired, but `https://` is encouraged, since it is more reliable when faced with strict firewalls.

    git clone git://libvirt.org/[module name].git

In addition to this primary repository, there are the following read-only git repositories which mirror the master one. Note that we currently do not use the full set of features on these mirrors (e.g. pull requests on GitHub, so please don't use them). All patch review and discussion only occurs on the libvir-list mailing list. Also note that some repositories listed below allow HTTP checkouts too.

              https://github.com/libvirt/
              https://gitlab.com/libvirt/