Understanding versions

Every build of EduMIPS64 displays a version identifier so you always know exactly what you are running. This page explains what the identifier means and where to find it.

The version string

At an official release the version is a plain number, for example 1.4.1.

A build made between two releases looks like 1.4.0-74-geec1768. Reading it from left to right:

  • 1.4.0 — the most recent official release that this build follows.

  • 74 — the number of changes made after that release.

  • geec1768 — a short unique identifier for this exact build.

You do not need to memorise the identifier. Its main purpose is to let you report the exact build you are using when filing a bug report, so that maintainers can reproduce the issue without guessing.

Where to find the version

  • Desktop (Swing) application — shown in the window title and in the Help → About dialog.

  • Command line — run the JAR with the --version flag.

  • Web application — shown in the About tab of the Help dialog, and next to the “Web Version” label in the top toolbar.

Which web build am I running?

The production web app at https://web.edumips.org carries the stable version. It is only updated when the maintainers explicitly promote a new build, so it is the safest choice for everyday use.

Every commit to the development code is also built and published to its own permanent address under https://web.edumips.org/c/<commit>/. A small coloured badge next to the “Web Version” label in the toolbar tells you which kind of build you are on:

  • No badge — you are on the normal production build. This is the stable version at https://web.edumips.org.

  • ``ARCHIVED`` — you are viewing a specific per-commit build served from /c/<commit>/. This may be a previously promoted version or a candidate awaiting promotion; either way it is not the live production site. Hovering over the badge shows a tooltip confirming this.

  • ``PR #N`` (yellow badge) — a temporary preview built for a specific proposed change (pull request) on GitHub. Clicking the badge opens the corresponding pull request page.

  • ``dev`` (blue badge) — someone is running a local development build directly on their machine.

In short: no badge → stable production; ``ARCHIVED`` → a specific per-commit build; ``PR #N`` / ``dev`` → temporary or preview builds.

Browsing and switching versions

All retained web builds — both the promoted releases and the pending candidates — are listed in one place, addressed by their commit identifier. Open the list from the Help dialog:

  1. Click Help → About (in the web app toolbar).

  2. The About tab shows two lists:

    • Promoted versions — the manually promoted releases, shown prominently. The live one is marked current.

    • Candidate builds — newer builds that have not yet been promoted. All pending candidates are shown (there are usually only a few).

  3. Click any entry to open that exact build in a new tab — your current work is preserved in the original tab.

What is kept, and for how long

  • Promoted versions are kept permanently as immutable snapshots, so you can always go back to any release.

  • Candidate builds are kept until a promotion happens. When a build is promoted, the candidates that came before it (and were never promoted) are removed; candidates newer than the promoted build are preserved and stay available until they are themselves promoted or superseded.

This keeps the list focused: every promoted release plus the handful of builds that are still waiting to be promoted.