release channels
separate tracks of software updates with different levels of change
Many vendors publish updates on several tracks. A long-term track changes rarely and gets only critical fixes; a stable track gets new features and fixes more often; test tracks get early versions. A device checks only its chosen track for updates, so a fix released on one track may not appear on another.
Think of it as
Like a bus route with express and local services: if the fix only runs on the express, the local stop never sees it.
Ideas that use this term