Blog: Evolving the Node.js Release Schedule#8631
Blog: Evolving the Node.js Release Schedule#8631UlisesGascon wants to merge 6 commits intonodejs:mainfrom
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- Add "About the Alpha Channel" section explaining: - Target audience (library authors, CI pipelines) - Expectations (no security patches, API may change) - Rationale (feedback loop + V8 updates) - ABI stability noted as TBD - Simplify schedule phases: Alpha → Current → LTS (29 months) - Remove Active LTS / Maintenance distinction - Add Ubuntu release cycle comparison for familiarity - Clean up v26/v27 timelines (remove Maintenance milestone)
- Add comprehensive 10-year schedule table (v27-v36) with Alpha, Release, LTS, and End of Life dates - Clarify that Alpha channel uses only nightly builds (no formal alpha releases, reducing releaser workload) - Link to nodejs.org/download/nightly for early testing - Reorder Timeline section: v26 → v27 → 10-year table
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👋 Codeowner Review RequestThe following codeowners have been identified for the changed files: Team reviewers: @nodejs/releasers @nodejs/nodejs-website Please review the changes when you have a chance. Thank you! 🙏 |
Codecov Report✅ All modified and coverable lines are covered by tests. Additional details and impacted files@@ Coverage Diff @@
## main #8631 +/- ##
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+ Coverage 75.01% 75.04% +0.03%
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Files 103 104 +1
Lines 9068 9088 +20
Branches 315 315
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+ Hits 6802 6820 +18
- Misses 2264 2266 +2
Partials 2 2 ☔ View full report in Codecov by Sentry. |
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| date: '2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z' | |||
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This is just a placeholder, no idea when makes sense to publish it.
| - **Every release becomes LTS**. No more odd/even distinction. | ||
| - **Alpha channel replaces odd-numbered releases** for early testing | ||
| - **Version numbers align with years**: `27.x` in 2027, `28.x` in 2028 | ||
| - **Maximum 3 active release lines** (down from 5) |
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down from 5
When did that last happen?
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also s/active/supported/ as "active lts" was a defined term in release phases
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It happens every year, e.g. next time will be between 2026-04-22 and 2026-04-30 there will be:
- 20.x
- 22.x
- 24.x
- 25.x
- 26.x
And there's always main as well
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@aduh95 I don't think every? Last time the overlap was in 2023 for under 2 weeks.
My point is: this change doesn't remove two supported branches, it removes at most one.
There were never two supported odd branches at the same moment.
It can't go from 5 to 3.
Current schedule gives 4 with sometimes small overlaps raising that to 5 for a few days.
And those overlaps always involve even branches, not the removed odd ones.
This new schedule gives 3 but only assuming overlaps never happen anymore:
And there's always
mainas well
And if we count main it definitely is not down to 3.
Preview url: https://nodejs-org-git-fork-ulisesgascon-release-announcement-openjs.vercel.app/en/blog/announcements/evolving-the-nodejs-release-schedule
Objective
This is an initial draft of the blog post, intended to collect feedback and iterate until we have a clear plan for communicating the release schedule change.
Context
We have been discussing this topic for a while in nodejs/Release#1113, nodejs/Release#953 and at the Collaboration Summit Chesapeake 2025.
The goal of this post is to communicate the change clearly to users as part of the messaging around Node 26.x, since the new plan will take effect starting with Node 27.x. We decided to write this blog post during our last Release WG meeting.