Subject: Re: A note from the maintainer

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:22:21 -0800

In addition to the usual version bump to say "the latest feature
release is 2.53 done today", this update includes a request to
people to build and try "next" in their daily work to prevent
undiscovered bugs getting to "master" and breaking their workflow.
Here are excerpts from relevant paragraphs in "diff --word-diff"
form (i.e., new words are shown as {+new words+}, removed ones are
shown as {-removed words-}).

...

Topic branches that are in good shape are merged to the "next" branch.
The "next" branch is where new and exciting things take place.  In
general, the "next" branch always contains the tip of "master".  It
might not be quite rock-solid, but is expected to work more or less
without major breakage.  A topic that is in "next" is expected to be
polished to perfection before it is merged to "master".  Please help
this process by building & using the "next" branch for your daily
work, and reporting any new bugs you find to the mailing list, before
the breakage is merged down to the "master".  {+This process depends on+}
{+your participation, as the way you use Git may be unique from others,+}
{+and a new bug may only manifest itself when used in the way you use+}
{+Git, not noticed by others.+}

...

Note that being in "next" is not a guarantee to appear in the next
release, nor even in any future release.  There were cases that topics
needed reverting a few commits in them before graduating to "master",
or a topic that already was in "next" was reverted from "next" because
fatal flaws were found in it after it was merged to "next".  {+The same+}
{+can be said to "master"---there were cases that we needed to revert a+}
{+topic from it because a regression was found after it was merged to+}
{+"master", instead of while it was still in "next".  To prevent it from+}
{+happening, those who care about the quality of the next release, those+}
{+who want to ensure that the next release will not break their+}
{+workflow, are strongly encouraged to build and try out "next" in their+}
{+daily work and report problems.+}