# BIND9 9.18 LTS Support Branch

Branch: 9.18
Purpose: Long-term support for BIND9 9.18.x (ISC LTS release)
Status: Active
Support Level: Full

## Version Information

- **BIND9 Version**: 9.18.x (LTS)
- **Supported Until**: Aligned with ISC BIND9 9.18 LTS support timeline
- **Branch Base**: BIND9 9.18.44 (as of February 2026)

## Supported Platforms

- Debian 11 (Bullseye)
- Debian 12 (Bookworm)
- Debian 13 (Trixie)
- Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
- Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

## Policies

### Backporting
- ✅ Security fixes: Always backported
- ✅ Bug fixes: Backported if compatible
- ❌ New features: Case-by-case (no breaking changes)
- ❌ Breaking changes: Never

### Release Numbering
Uses MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH (e.g., v1.2.3)

## Key Documentation

- [Version Support Policy](docs/VERSION_SUPPORT.md)
- [Configuration Grammar](CONFIGURATION_GRAMMAR.md)
- [Changelog](CHANGELOG.md)
- [README](README.md)

## Next Major Version

For BIND9 9.20+ support, see the `main` branch which will eventually have version-specific releases.