Wireshark-dev: [Wireshark-dev] 4.2.0 release schedule

From: Gerald Combs <gerald@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:04:33 -0700
Hi all,

I'd like to start preparing for the creation of the release-4.2 branch and the 4.2.0 release. I've come up with the following tentative schedule, which will give us a couple of release candidates before SharkFest EU and a final release in November, after SharkFest:

Aug 24 : Release 4.1.0
Aug ?? : Release 4.1.1
Sep ?? : Release 4.1.2
Oct  2 : Create the release-4.2 branch
Oct  4 : Release 4.2.0rc1
Oct 18 : Release 4.2.0rc2
Oct 30 - Nov 3 : SharkFest EU. See you in Brussels!
Nov  8 : Release 4.2.0

If you need to delay any of the above, particularly the release-4.2 branch, please let me know.

New features and improvements in 4.2.0 will include:

- Packet list sorting performance improvements.

- "_ws.col.<x>" display filters.

- More display filter improvements, including raw byte matching (@field.name == 12:ab:23:cd).

- Some name resolution files (such as "manuf" and "services") are now compiled in, which reduces startup time.

- A built-in MAC address / OUI dialog.

- A Windows Arm64 installer.

Note that the release-3.6 branch is an LTS branch, so in accordance with https://wiki.wireshark.org/Development/LifeCycle we'll have three active release branches until May 2024.