# v0.98.x — Stabilization

> **Status:** Planned
> **Scope:** Variable
> **User promise:** *"The release candidate contains less risk, not more scope."*
> **Blocked by:** [v0.97.0](v0.97.0.md)
> **Renumbered:** previously v0.95.x.

## Theme

Hold a stabilization-only release series between the feature freeze and the
v1.0 release candidates. The goal is to remove risk and prove compatibility.
Deleting an unstable optimization or making a controller decision more
conservative is a valid release outcome.

## Allowed work

- correctness and security fixes
- bugs found by the soak, longevity environment, upgrade matrix, conformance
  suites, or users
- compatibility, packaging, and documentation fixes
- missing tests and clearer diagnostics
- dependency cleanup and removal of unnecessary configuration
- performance regression fixes
- disabling or narrowing optimizer and controller rules that lack evidence
- correctness-preserving Delta V1 fixes; release candidates remain blocked
      while its independent conformance gate is not green
- explicit rejection of combinations that cannot be supported safely

New SQL functions, catalog capabilities, query coverage, and operational
features wait until after v1.0.

## Exit criteria

- [ ] No known correctness or security blocker remains
- [ ] The exact oracle, Graph V1 and Delta V1 conformance suites, upgrade
      matrix, 72-hour soak, package smoke tests, and performance regression
      gates pass on the release-candidate baseline
- [ ] Every supported fallback and suspension has a stable reason code and a
      support-matrix entry
- [ ] Unstable optimizer or controller decisions are narrowed, disabled, or
      removed
- [ ] API, catalog, GUC, monitoring, and package contracts match the frozen
      v0.97.0 feature surface
- [ ] Remaining known limitations are documented as explicit v1.0 non-goals or
      post-v1.0 work