On Wed, Dec 23, 2020 at 2:14 AM Gordon Messmer gordon.messmer@gmail.com wrote:
RHEL point releases are branches. 7.6 is a branch. 7.7 is a branch. You can continue running 7.6 and receive security updates after 7.7 is released. Those updates may include packages built specifically for 7.6, and not just a selection of the packages for 7.7. They're maintained in parallel, at the same time. They're branches.
CentOS point releases weren't individual branches. There was only one CentOS 7 branch. CentOS 7.6 was just a point in time along the lifetime of CentOS 7. 7.6 is not literally a tag, but it's the closest analogy. There was no continued support for CentOS 7.6 after CentOS 7.7 was released. If there's no parallel maintenance, there is only one branch.
Honestly, I can't believe you are still on this page. This is some serious kool-aid you are drinking. I'm a little jealous.
https://vault.centos.org/8.3.2011/BaseOS/Source/SPackages/kernel-4.18.0-240....
Do you know what the ".1.1" is? It's called a branch.
And here, is 8.2:
https://vault.centos.org/8.2.2004/BaseOS/Source/SPackages/kernel-4.18.0-193....
What? .28.1 wasn't in 8.3. Check the changelog for 4.18.0-240.1.1. Where did it come from? Oh right. It's called a branch.
I know you are stuck on the "c7" being a branch, and using terms like "VCS" to fill in some background. But, as already mentioned - "c7" is a flattened set of imports and de-branding. It is representing a more complex structure, that you are either unaware of - or you are pretending doesn't exist. I can't tell which yet. But, this "flattened set of imports and de-branding" is what disappears with CentOS 8 Stream. CentOS 8 Stream is the -240, -241, -242, ... with no backports also known as no branches.