Core

branch	target	description	how to build	download
master	linux-x86_64	Stable and always backwards compatible hosted version	Core	Core
master	amiga-m68k	Amiga replacement ROM and system software	Core	Core

Backwards compatibility

component	kept stable
Application Binary Interface (ABI)	YES
OS 3.1 API (examples: exec.library, input.device)	YES
3rd party public libraries API (example: muimaster.library)	YES
Classes, gadgets, datatypes API (examples: png.dataype)	YES
AROS driver system (HIDD, oop.library)	NO
AROS kernel components (example: kernel.resource)	NO

Alternatives

branch	target	description	how to build	download
alt-runtime	runtimelinux-x86_64	AxRuntime for Linux x86_64	AxRuntime	AxRuntime
alt-abiv0	pc-i386	ABI_V0 version of native 32-bit AROS	ABIv0	ABIv0

Relation between Core and Alternatives

The separation between Core and Alternatives has been introduced to allow different, sometimes diverging views and usages of AROS to co-exist and contribute to common base.

Core is defined as the base for all projects. Core defines a few targets which are preserved at each commit.

Alternatives can use two mechanisms to implement their changes:

• arch mechanism of AROS build system which allows overwriting implementation on file basis and keeping the overwrites in master branch
• periodically rebased git branches mechanism for changes that modify the base files and would break the Core targets

Every Alternative needs to have at minimum a branch starting with alt- even if all changes are done via arch mechanism. On that branch README.md file should be modified to describe the Alternative. Checking out this branch should allow anyone to build a working version of the Alternative.

Responsibilities

Every commit made to Core targets is required to preserve backwards compatibility. Maintainer of the Core targets reserves the right to revert a commit or ask for it to be moved to an Alternative branch.

Maintainers of Alternatives are responsible for adjusting their projects to changes happening in Core.

Maintainer of Core is responsible to keeping the number of wide-spread changes controlled, possibly batching them when needed and communicating to maintainers of Alternatives in advanced.