So what are the release streams?
There are effectively 3 release streams for CM: Nightlies, M/Stable, and Installer:
Nightlies are always the most bleeding edge in code, features, and yes, bugs (including the kind that may prevent the device from booting at all).
Update process: Flash a new nightly on top of the old – no need to wipe
M/Stable are specifically tagged, branched, tested and released. If you are a tinkerer but adverse to the chaos of nightlies, this is for you.
Update process: Flash a new M/Stable on top of the previous M/Stable – no need to wipe
Installer builds are those served via the CM Installer applications (Windows, Mac). These builds are specially signed and named separately – there is no concept of an ‘M’ build for this release channel – so saying ‘Installer skipped M#’ is an incorrect interpretation. This channel only ever receives specially created Stable builds – they even come with their own naming structure (eg XNPQ02R).
Update process: Incremental OTA’s are provided using the CMFota application – updates are handled by device logic with minimal user interaction, no wipe needed
If you are a nightly user, use nightlies. If you prefer to tinker but want something less chaotic, use the M/Stables. If you aren’t a tinkerer and
don’t want chaos, use the Installer builds (if available).