diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 07eddd4..f441b49 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@ The following are the changes from calc version 2.14.3.5 to date:
     Added int.h as a central place for calc integer types and
     integer macros.
 
+    Removed `-R release_file` and `-r release_file` command
+    line options from `ver_calc`.  Add `-h` option.  Updated
+    comments in "README.RELEASE", which serves as the contents
+    of the calc command "help release".
+
 
 The following are the changes from calc version 2.14.3.4 to 2.14.3.5:
 
diff --git a/README.RELEASE b/README.RELEASE
index 62604dc..fea1ab3 100644
--- a/README.RELEASE
+++ b/README.RELEASE
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ The top version level (e.g., 2) refers to the internal representation
 of values.  Any library or hardware linked/built for calc 2 will be able
 to use values from other 2.x.y.z versions.
 
+When top version level is 2, the symbol "CALC2_COMPAT" is defined
+by "version.h".  See "version.h" for constants used to define the
+calc version.
+
 The top 2 levels (e.g., 2.14) refers to a specific compatible set of
 builtin functions.  Calc interpreted code (such as calc resource files)
 written for, say calc 2.14, will be able to use the same set of builtin
@@ -32,9 +36,32 @@ neither a change to the internal representation format (a top level
 version change), nor were there new calc builtins introduced in such
 a top 3 level release.
 
-There are 3 classes of changes to the calc source tree:
 
-alpha		=> untagged GitHub commit
+The program "ver_calc" will print information about the compiled
+calc version as defined "version.h" when "ver_calc" was compiled:
+
+    usage: ./ver_calc [-h] [-V]
+
+	-h	print this message and exit non-zero
+	-V	print 3-level version (def: print 4-level version)
+
+Also "calc -v" will print the calc version as defined "version.h" when
+"calc" was compiled.
+
+The master branch:
+
+    The public repository of calc source code is:
+
+	http://github.com/lcn2/calc
+
+    On that GitHub site you may find released version of calc,
+    "production", "tested" and "alpha".  All commits on the master
+    branch that are not associated with a release are "alpha".
+
+    Any "alpha" commit is likely future code for a future
+    "tested" or "production" version of calc.
+
+alpha		==> untagged GitHub commit
 
 	Any untagged commit to the GitHub master branch should be
 	considered as alpha code that may make calc unstable.
@@ -43,7 +70,17 @@ alpha		=> untagged GitHub commit
 	there is a risk that picking up such a change could
 	negatively impact the code.
 
-tested		=> tagged GitHub pre-release commit
+	NOTE: The calc version found in "version.h", and printed
+	      by both "ver_calc [-V]" and "calc -v" for an untagged
+	      commit is the previous "tested" or "production" version
+	      of calc.  Any "alpha" changes that remain are code
+	      for some future version of calc.
+
+	      At the last stage of the release process, "version.h"
+	      will be updated as well as the top level version range
+	      listed in "CHANGES".
+
+tested		==> tagged GitHub pre-release commit
 
 	A new version of calc has been released and has recently passed
 	regression testing on at least to different platforms and chip
@@ -63,7 +100,7 @@ tested		=> tagged GitHub pre-release commit
 	 At the bottom of a given release is a "> Assets" that may
 	 be opened to reveal down-loadable files.
 
-production	=> tagged GitHub release commit
+production	==> tagged GitHub release commit
 
 	A new version of calc has been released and has undergone
 	extensive testing over time over a number of platforms.
@@ -87,14 +124,14 @@ production	=> tagged GitHub release commit
 
 A historical note and apology:
 
-In the past, some version number changes were made that did not fully
-reflect the above version number or change class.  Moreover older terms
-such as "stable" and "unstable" were misleading and did not properly
-reflect the nature of the change.  Sorry!  The purpose of this document
-is to try and bring a better level of conformity to source code updates,
-tagged releases and version numbers.
+    In the past, some version number changes were made that did not
+    fully reflect the above version number or change class.  Moreover
+    older terms such as "stable" and "unstable" were misleading and
+    did not properly reflect the nature of the change.  Sorry!  The
+    purpose of this document is to try and bring a better level of
+    conformity to source code updates, tagged releases and version numbers.
 
-## Copyright (C) 2021  Landon Curt Noll
+## Copyright (C) 2021,2023  Landon Curt Noll
 ##
 ## Calc is open software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
 ## the terms of the version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License
diff --git a/version.c b/version.c
index 276f9a2..261102d 100644
--- a/version.c
+++ b/version.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ static char *program;
 
 
 /*
- * calc version constants
+     * calc version constants
  */
 int calc_major_ver = MAJOR_VER;
 int calc_minor_ver = MINOR_VER;
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ version(void)
 	 * save the versions string into a newly malloced buffer
 	 */
 	len = strlen(verbuf);
-	stored_version = (char *)malloc(len+1);
+	stored_version = (char *)calloc(len+1, sizeof(verbuf[0]));
 	if (stored_version == NULL) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: cannot malloc version string\n", program);
 		exit(70);
@@ -148,59 +148,14 @@ version(void)
 
 
 /*
- * print_rpm_version - print just the version string, rpm style
- *
- * This function prints a version string, rpm style:
- *
- *		x.y.z.w-r
- *
- * where 'r' comes from the content of the release file.
- */
-void
-print_rpm_version(char *release)
-{
-	FILE *file;		/* open file */
-	char buf[BUFSIZ+1];	/* release file buffer */
-	char *p;
-
-	/*
-	 * obtain the release
-	 */
-	file = fopen(release, "r");
-	if (file == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: cannot open %s: %s\n",
-		    program, release, strerror(errno));
-		exit(71);
-	}
-	buf[BUFSIZ] = '\0';
-	if (fgets(buf, BUFSIZ, file) == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: cannot read %s: %s\n",
-		    program, release, strerror(errno));
-		exit(72);
-	}
-	p = strchr(buf, '\n');
-	if (p != NULL) {
-		*p = '\0';
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * form the version buffer
-	 */
-	printf("%d.%d.%d.%d-%s\n", calc_major_ver, calc_minor_ver,
-			      calc_major_patch, calc_minor_patch, buf);
-	return;
-}
-
-
-/*
- * print_rpm_major - print just the major part version string
+ * print_3_level_version - print just the major part version string
  *
  * This function prints the major part version string:
  *
  *		x.y.z
  */
 void
-print_rpm_major(void)
+print_3_level_version(void)
 {
 	/*
 	 * form the version buffer
@@ -211,50 +166,6 @@ print_rpm_major(void)
 }
 
 
-/*
- * print_rpm_release - print just the rpm release
- *
- * This function prints the rpm release:
- *
- *		r
- *
- * where 'r' comes from the content of the release file.
- */
-void
-print_rpm_release(char *release)
-{
-	FILE *file;		/* open file */
-	char buf[BUFSIZ+1];	/* release file buffer */
-	char *p;
-
-	/*
-	 * obtain the release
-	 */
-	file = fopen(release, "r");
-	if (file == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: cannot open %s: %s\n",
-		    program, release, strerror(errno));
-		exit(73);
-	}
-	buf[BUFSIZ] = '\0';
-	if (fgets(buf, BUFSIZ, file) == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: cannot read %s: %s\n",
-		    program, release, strerror(errno));
-		exit(74);
-	}
-	p = strchr(buf, '\n');
-	if (p != NULL) {
-		*p = '\0';
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * form the version buffer
-	 */
-	printf("%s\n", buf);
-	return;
-}
-
-
 /*
  * version - print the calc version
  */
@@ -263,21 +174,27 @@ int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	program = argv[0];
-	if (argc == 3 && strcmp(argv[1], "-r") == 0) {
-		print_rpm_version(argv[2]);
-
-	} else if (argc == 3 && strcmp(argv[1], "-R") == 0) {
-		print_rpm_release(argv[2]);
-
-	} else if (argc == 2 && strcmp(argv[1], "-V") == 0) {
-		print_rpm_major();
+	/*
+	 * case: -V - print 3-level version
+	 */
+	if (argc == 2 && strcmp(argv[1], "-V") == 0) {
+		print_3_level_version();
 
+	/*
+	 * case: no args - print 4-level version
+	 */
 	} else if (argc == 1) {
 		printf("%s\n", version());
 
+	/*
+	 * case: -h or wrong number of args or invalid options
+	 */
 	} else {
 		fprintf(stderr,
-		    "usage: %s [-V] [-R release_file] [-r release_file]\n",
+		    "usage: %s [-V | -h]\n"
+		    "\n"
+		    "    -h	print this message and exit non-zero\n"
+		    "    -V	print 3-level version (def: print 4-level version)\n",
 		    program);
 		exit(75);
 	}