When browsing http://dist.civicrm.org/by-date/latest/, you may find that the Fix Version does not appear as a folder – because it has not been released yet. Choose the closest major version.
Example: If the Fix Version is "4.6.3", and if there is no folder for "4.6.3", then look in the "4.6" folder.
Example: If the Fix Version is "4.7", and if there is no folder for "4.7.0" or "4.7", then look in the "master" folder.
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### Option D. Download the patch file from Github
-****Summary**:**
- Setup a test server.
- View the PR on Github.
-[Download and apply the patch on your
test server.](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7827002/how-to-apply-a-git-patch-when-given-a-pull-number){.external-link}
-**Required Skills**:
- CiviCRM system administration
- Basic web development
-**Required Time**:
- Moderate. Generally 20-60 min.
-**Timeframe**:
- You can download patches as soon as they are **proposed**. This
means you can try new patches **before** they've been reviewed
or approved.
-**Caveats**:
- Patches do not always apply cleanly. For example, if there is a
big gap in the versions (eg your test system is 4.6.0 and the
*Fix Version* is 4.6.5), or if the patch is large, then there's
an increased risk that minutiae will prevent the patch from
loading on your system.
- Patches may have hidden dependencies. For example, patch #456
may only work correctly if patch #123 is also loaded. This risk
can only be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
### Option E. Setup a developer system and checkout the patch
-****Summary**:**
- Active core contributors setup a development system optimized
for evaluating new patches.
- Install <https://buildkit.civicrm.org/> (aka
<https://github.com/civicrm/civicrm-buildkit>) on a developer
