"build" increments each time Emacs is built in the same location
(without cleaning) and isn't really part of the version.
-bugfix releases increase "minor" by 1.
-non-bugfix releases increase "major" by 1, and reset "minor" to 1.
+Bugfix releases increase "minor" by 1.
+Non-bugfix releases increase "major" by 1, and reset "minor" to 1.
(The division between bugfix and non-bugfix has not always been clear
historically.)
Unreleased (development) versions have an extra "devel" component.
This is a fairly meaningless number that may be unchanged for a long time.
It is normally 50.
-When the release process starts, it changes to 90, 91, ...
-When the actual release is made, this component is removed.
+
+After we cut the release branch, we’ll make pretest and release
+candidate (RC) releases. For pretest releases, the "devel" component
+changes to 90, 91, ... When the first RC release is made, this
+component is removed. Normally, there is one RC release, unless an
+unexpected last-minute problem occurs.
The development version for a new major release has "minor" = 0.
The development version for a new minor release has "minor" = that of