Overview | Latest IRIX 6.5 Release | Previous IRIX 6.5 Releases | Definition of Terms

Overview
In May 1998, SGI released IRIX® 6.5, its operating system based on UNIX®. SGI releases a new minor version, IRIX® 6.5.X on a regular basis. These releases are rigorously tested to ensure reliability and strict compatibility both up and down the release stream. The IRIX 6.5 release stream design allows applications to run correctly on any version of IRIX 6.5, regardless of the version on which the application was developed and tested.

For those asking about recertification of applications, please take a moment and become acquainted with the application compatibility protections offered by IRIX 6.5. This is a powerful mandate that allows an application to be developed under IRIX 6.5.X and be run on any IRIX 6.5.Y, regardless of whether Y > X, Y == X, or Y < X.

• Application Compatibility in SGI IRIX 6.5
  This white paper describes the application compatibility protections offered by IRIX 6.5.
• IRIX Release Process (PDF 53K)
  This document describes the IRIX release process and the engineering development methodology.
• IRIX Maintenance Download Process through Supportfolio™
  SGI Global Developer Program members may download IRIX maintenance releases, for use on their development systems only, from Supportfolio.
• SGI Software Support Policy
  This document gives an overview of the general software support policy guidelines and defines major and minor release, standard bugfix guidelines and the support modes.

Latest IRIX Release: IRIX 6.5.30

IRIX® 6.5.30 has been released and is shipping with all new systems from SGI worldwide manufacturing centers. The IRIX 6.5.30 release continues the focus on stability, reliability, security and compatibility required in the IRIX® 6.5.xx release process.

Previous IRIX 6.5 Releases

Definition of Terms
Some useful definition of terms:

IRIX Feature Release
Contains new functional subsystems (i.e.: CXFS™ and optional IRIX features as well as including all maintenance release changes. The naming convention for feature releases is to add the letter 'f' after the IRIX version number, for instance 6.5.18f

IRIX Maintenance Release
Contains bug fixes, performance enhancements including new hardware platform support and standards-based changes. Maintenance releases are identified with the letter 'm' after the IRIX version number, for instance 6.5.18m.

Major Release
A major release may contain changes to Application Program Interfaces (APIs, while a minor release does not. A major release is typically identified by changing the first decimal digit of the release number (for example, previous major release: IRIX 6.4, current: IRIX 6.5.

Minor Release
A minor release (also may be called a maintenance or a feature release provides error correction and/or enhance the functionality to IRIX 6.5. A minor release is identified by changing the second decimal digit of the release number (for example, IRIX 6.5.1 to IRIX 6.5.2.

Support Mode Status
SGI has eight defined modes of software support, covering both operating systems and application software:

• Active: active feature development and maintenance by SGI or a contracted vendor.
• Courtesy: software products provided by SGI as a convenience to our customers.
• Divested: software products turned over to a third party for further support and development.
• Expired: no longer sold, supported, or distributed by SGI in any form.
• Legacy: no longer actively developed or maintained; still being distributed.
• Limited: actively developed and maintained by non-SGI entities.
• Maintenance: being maintained but not receiving feature enhancements.
• Retired: no longer actively developed, maintained, or distributed.