Editing GNU Privacy Guard (section)

=== Branches ===
Since the release of a stable GnuPG 2.3, starting with version 2.3.3 in October 2021, three stable branches of GnuPG are actively maintained:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2021q4/000466.html|title=GnuPG 2.3.3 released}}</ref>
* A "[[Software release life cycle#Stable release|stable]] branch", which currently is (as of 2025) the 2.4 branch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The GNU Privacy Guard |url=https://gnupg.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320024858/https://gnupg.org/ |archive-date=2025-03-20 |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=The GNU Privacy Guard}}</ref>
* A "[[Long-term support|LTS (long-term support)]] branch", which currently is (as of 2021) the 2.2 branch (which was formerly called "modern branch", in comparison to the 2.0 branch).
* The old "[[Legacy system#Perspectives on legacy code|legacy]] branch" (formerly called "classic branch"), which is and will stay the 1.4 branch.

Before GnuPG 2.3, two stable branches of GnuPG were actively maintained:
* "Modern" (2.2), with numerous new features, such as [[elliptic curve cryptography]], compared to the former "stable" (2.0) branch, which it replaced with the release of GnuPG 2.2.0 on August 28, 2017.<ref name="gnupg-2.2.0-announcement">{{Cite mailing list |url = https://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2017q3/000413.html |title = [Announce] GnuPG 2.2.0 released |date = 2017-08-28 |access-date = 2017-09-21 |mailing-list = gnupg-announce |last = Koch |first = Werner |author-link = Werner Koch |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170829040530/https://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2017q3/000413.html |archive-date = 2017-08-29 |url-status = live }}</ref> It was initially released on November 6, 2014.<ref name="gnupg-2.1.0-announcement">{{cite web |date=2014-11-06 |url=http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2014q4/000358.html |title=<nowiki>[Announce] GnuPG 2.1.0 "modern" released</nowiki> |last=Koch |first=Werner |author-link=Werner Koch |publisher=gnupg.org |access-date=2014-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106154709/http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2014q4/000358.html |archive-date=2014-11-06 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* "Classic" (1.4), the very old, but still maintained stand-alone version, most suitable for outdated or embedded platforms. Initially released on December 16, 2004.<ref name="gnupg-1.4.0-announcement">{{cite web |date=2004-12-16 |url=http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2004q4/000186.html |title=<nowiki>[Announce] GnuPG stable 1.4 released</nowiki> |last=Koch |first=Werner |author-link=Werner Koch |publisher=gnupg.org |access-date=2004-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050103172907/http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2004q4/000186.html |archive-date=2005-01-03 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Different GnuPG 2.x versions (e.g. from the 2.2 and 2.0 branches) cannot be installed at the same time.  However, it is possible to install a "classic" GnuPG version (i.e. from the 1.4 branch) along with any GnuPG 2.x version.<ref name="gnupg-2.1.0-announcement"/>

Before the release of GnuPG 2.2 ("modern"), the now deprecated "stable" branch (2.0) was recommended for general use, initially released on November 13, 2006.<ref name="gnupg-2.0.0-announcement">{{cite web |date=2006-11-13 |url=http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2006q4/000239.html |title=<nowiki>[Announce] GnuPG 2.0 released</nowiki> |last=Koch |first=Werner |author-link=Werner Koch |publisher=gnupg.org |access-date=2014-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214124626/http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2006q4/000239.html |archive-date=2014-02-14 |url-status=live }}</ref> This branch reached its [[End-of-life (product)|end-of-life]] on December 31, 2017;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2017q1/000401.html|title=<nowiki>[Announce] GnuPG 2.1.18 released</nowiki>|last=Koch|first=Werner|author-link=Werner Koch|date=2017-01-23|publisher=gnupg.org|language=en|access-date=2017-02-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211080210/https://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2017q1/000401.html|archive-date=2017-02-11|url-status=live}}</ref> Its last version is 2.0.31, released on December 29, 2017.<ref name="gnupg-2.0.31-tagged">{{Cite web|url = https://dev.gnupg.org/rGe6dae418c260592c0860519481b5eb92d14329db|title = GnuPG 2.0.31|date = 2017-12-29|access-date = 2017-12-30}}</ref>

Before the release of GnuPG 2.0, all stable releases originated from a single branch; i.e., before November 13, 2006, no multiple release branches were maintained in parallel. These former, sequentially succeeding (up to 1.4) release branches were:
* 1.2 branch, initially released on September 22, 2002,<ref name="gnupg-1.2.0-announcement">{{cite web |date=2002-09-06 |url=http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2002q3/000136.html |title=<nowiki>[Announce]GnuPG 1.2 released</nowiki> |last=Koch |first=Werner |author-link=Werner Koch |publisher=gnupg.org |access-date=2014-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617075459/http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2002q3/000136.html |archive-date=2014-06-17 |url-status=live }}</ref> with 1.2.6 as the last version, released on October 26, 2004.<ref name="gnupg-1.2.6-announcement">{{cite web |date=2004-08-26 |url=http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2004q3/000176.html |title=<nowiki>[Announce] GnuPG 1.2.6 released</nowiki> |last=Koch |first=Werner |author-link=Werner Koch |publisher=gnupg.org |access-date=2014-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617075605/http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2004q3/000176.html |archive-date=2014-06-17 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 1.0 branch, initially released on September 7, 1999,<ref name="gnupg-1.0.0-announcement"/> with 1.0.7 as the last version, released on April 30, 2002.<ref name="gnupg-1.0.7-announcement">{{cite web |date=2002-04-30 |url=http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2002q2/000135.html |title=<nowiki>[Announce] GnuPG 1.0.7 released</nowiki> |last=Koch |first=Werner |author-link=Werner Koch |publisher=gnupg.org |access-date=2014-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617075617/http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2002q2/000135.html |archive-date=2014-06-17 |url-status=live }}</ref>

(Note that before the release of GnuPG 2.3.0, branches with an odd minor release number (e.g. 2.1, 1.9, 1.3) were development branches leading to a stable release branch with a "+ 0.1" higher version number (e.g. 2.2, 2.0, 1.4); hence branches 2.2 and 2.1 both belong to the "modern" series, 2.0 and 1.9 both to the "stable" series, while the branches 1.4 and 1.3 both belong to the "classic" series.

With the release of GnuPG 2.3.0, this nomenclature was altered to be composed of a "stable" and "LTS" branch from the "modern" series, plus 1.4 as the last maintained "classic" branch.  Also note that even or odd minor release numbers do not indicate a stable or development release branch, anymore.)