# Operator Versioning

> Map between Calico/enterprise versions and tigera/operator release branches, for the releases that predate the operator moving into this repo. Use this skill whenever you need to determine which operator branch corresponds to a Calico or enterprise release (e.g., "which operator branch is Calico v3.30?"), or the reverse (e.g., "what Calico version does release-v1.40 ship?"). Also use this skill whenever cherry-picking to operator release branches, creating cherry-pick PRs targeting release branches, or any task that requires knowing the operator↔Calico version relationship. Trigger even if the user doesn't explicitly ask about versioning — if the task involves targeting an operator release branch by Calico version, use this skill to find the right branch.

- Skill: `projectcalico/operator-versioning` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add projectcalico/operator-versioning`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/projectcalico/operator-versioning/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: projectcalico (https://skillmd.com/u/projectcalico)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/projectcalico/operator-versioning

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# Operator Version Mapping

The operator is built from `operator/` in this repo and ships on the Calico version stream, so from master and any release branch cut after v3.32 there is no separate operator branch to map. Everything below is for v3.32 and earlier, where the operator was built from tigera/operator.

The tigera/operator repo uses its own versioning (release-v1.X) that does NOT have a simple 1:1 offset with Calico versions. Some operator branches correspond to Calico OSS releases, others to Calico Enterprise releases, and the mapping changes over time. Never guess the mapping — always look it up.

## Calico version → operator branch

The authoritative source is the `OPERATOR_BRANCH` variable in `metadata.mk`, which those release branches still carry:

1. **Calico OSS (projectcalico/calico)**: check `metadata.mk` on the `release-vX.Y` branch.
   ```bash
   git show origin/release-vX.Y:metadata.mk | grep OPERATOR_BRANCH
   ```

2. **Calico Enterprise (tigera/calico-private)**: check `metadata.mk` on the appropriate `release-calient-*` branch. The branch naming convention is `release-calient-vX.Y-Z` where `-Z` is the EP (engineering preview) number (e.g., `release-calient-v3.23-1` = v3.23 EP1). List matching branches to find the right one:
   ```bash
   git branch -r | grep "release-calient-vX.Y"
   git show origin/release-calient-vX.Y-Z:metadata.mk | grep OPERATOR_BRANCH
   ```

3. **Confirm** by checking `config/calico_versions.yml` or `config/enterprise_versions.yml` on the operator branch (in tigera/operator) — the `title` field shows the Calico/enterprise version that branch ships:
   ```bash
   git show origin/release-v1.XX:config/calico_versions.yml | head -3
   git show origin/release-v1.XX:config/enterprise_versions.yml | head -3
   ```

If you don't have the calico or calico-private repo locally, you can work backwards from the operator side: check `config/calico_versions.yml` on several candidate operator branches until you find the one whose `title` matches the target Calico version.

## Operator branch → Calico version

Check the version files on the operator branch directly:

```bash
git show origin/release-v1.XX:config/calico_versions.yml | head -3
git show origin/release-v1.XX:config/enterprise_versions.yml | head -3
```

The `title` field in each file gives the Calico OSS and enterprise versions respectively.

## Important notes

- Multiple operator branches can ship the same Calico OSS version (e.g., one paired with an OSS release, another with an enterprise release). The `metadata.mk` approach is definitive for a given Calico/enterprise release stream.
- The GitHub releases page for tigera/operator can also help — it shows which operator versions were released from which branches and what Calico versions they include.