Forum Discussion
TargetVersionPrefix and Extended Stable
With the changes to the release cycle, I would expect more companies will be opting into the extended stable channel. A major feature release every month is difficult enough, and now that it's every other week makes it even more challenging. Which raises two questions….
First, we need TargetVersionPrefix to actually do what the name suggests. We should be able to use that to actually target the major releases, while continuing to receive the security updates. There no logical reason why this doesn't work today. Chrome has had this from early on, and Edge's update mechanism is based directly on Chrome's updater.
Second, can we get a direct link to the latest extended stable MSI? Currently it's only accessible from the main download page, and you're forced to pick the even numbered version. It's not labeled as such, nor is there a way to query the update API to get the version. Which means that there is currently no way to automate an evergreen installer specifically for the extended channel.
1 Reply
You want Edge to stay patched without frequent feature releases, plus an Extended Stable deployment method. The supported control is Target Channel override set to Extended Stable, with Edge automatic updates enabled. Extended Stable has a longer cadence, and devices move when a newer Extended Stable build is available; Edge will not normally downgrade to an older channel build. TargetVersionPrefix is different: it targets a specific version prefix per channel. Pinning it needs active administration and can hold a device below later security fixes if the prefix is not advanced. I would not use it as a “major version only, but always latest security patch” policy. For packaging, use Microsoft’s Edge for Business download workflow and record the selected channel and version in your deployment process. I cannot find a documented public update API or fixed MSI URL dedicated to Extended Stable, so avoid constructing one from a version number.
