[CEP 25] Versioning of Existing conda Standards

cep-XXXX.md

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+# CEP XXXX - Versioning of Existing conda Standards
+
+<table>
+<tr><td> Title </td><td> Versioning of Existing conda Standards and Specs
+<tr><td> Status </td><td> Draft  </td></tr>
+<tr><td> Author(s) </td><td> Matthew R. Becker &lt;becker.mr@gmail.com&gt;</td></tr>
+<tr><td> Created </td><td> Mar 14, 2025</td></tr>
+<tr><td> Updated </td><td> Mar 14, 2025</td></tr>
+<tr><td> Discussion </td><td> NA </td></tr>
+<tr><td> Implementation </td><td> NA </td></tr>
+</table>
+
+## Abstract
+
+As the conda ecosystem is being standardized and evolving, the existing standards
+(in many cases only documented by the code that implements them) have been called
+`v1` in some cases (e.g., `.tar.bz2` versus `.conda`) and `v0` in others (e.g., `v0` versus `v1` recipe formats).
+This differing nomenclature is confusing. In this CEP, we resolve this issue by declaring all existing `conda`
+standards, documented formally in CEPs or not, the `v0` standards.
+
+## Specification
+
+All existing conda standards which satisfy the following conditions
+
+- are documented formally in CEPs or are only effectively documented through code implementations
+- have not been superseded by a newer standard labeled `v1`
+
+MUST be versioned at `v0`.
+
+The numbering of conda package formats, `.tar.bz2` and `.conda`, is exempt from this CEP.
+
+## Backwards Compatibility
+
+The `v0` versioning is fully backwards compatible with all current standards, except conda package formats
+which have been explicitly excluded.
+
+## Copyright
+
+All CEPs are explicitly [CC0 1.0 Universal](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).