Ubuntu considers switch to a rolling release model between LTS editions

By Syanide
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Syanide

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Ubuntu considers ?huge? change that would end traditional release cycle

Ubuntu 12.10 (thus named because it came out in October 2012) has just arrived, and 13.04 and 13.10 will come in April and October of 2013. But 14.04 in April 2014 could be the last version released after just a six-month development period. 14.04 is also the next "Long Term Support" or LTS edition. Every two years, Ubuntu is sort of frozen in place with a more stable edition that is guaranteed support for five years. If the change Canonical is considering is adopted, every future edition starting with 14.04 will be an LTS, so the next version after 14.04 would be 16.04 in April 2016.

Why bother? Canonical kernel team manager Leann Ogasawara explained in a Google hangout today that this proposal is on the table because Canonical thinks it can deliver both stability and cutting-edge features with rolling releases. For the two years between LTS releases, there would be no new versions but there would be lots of updates.

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Grand Master

n_K

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Why bother? Canonical kernel team manager Leann Ogasawara explained in a Google hangout today that this proposal is on the table because Canonical thinks it can deliver both stability and cutting-edge features with rolling releases.

Oh cahoot, does that mean thorough testing and coding of any changes they make before actually implementing them and forcing them on users, if so; microsoft, arch linux team, nokia, et al. please take note.

Grand Master

ViperAFK

Posted
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This could be a good idea, the 6 month release cycle has become pretty outdated IMO. The non-lts releases have always been glorified betas, so they might as well just go rolling release between the LTS releases. I really like the sound of this.

Grand Master

Max Norris

Posted
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Could it ever truly be rolling if debian is not rolling?

Debian has (or at least had last time I messed with it) a rolling branch, unstable (Sid).

http://wiki.debian.org/DebianUnstable#Introduction

Grand Master

Growled Member

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Several distros like Bodhi Linux do a semi-rolling release where they update the software but only update the system when they get system updates from Ubuntu. They are based on 12.04.1 currently. I would be happy with something like that, with only security updates coming down the line.

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Max Norris

Posted
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Several distros like Bodhi Linux do a semi-rolling release where they update the software but only update the system when they get system updates from Ubuntu.

Yea Chakra's doing this too (via Arch).. the core system is released in 'stages' or however you want to word it, the applications themselves (stuff that won't kersplode your system) is rolling. Actually a pretty good setup I think.. system's stable yet you're constantly up to date with the "regular" software.. in theory the worst that'll happen is the one application will crash, no more "holy god what did I do" moments with an update. Arch had a few major doozies if you weren't paying attention to their news feeds and what the updater is doing.

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Karl L.

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My apologies, I thought unstable was not rolling.

You are actually correct. Sid is not rolling. It is never technically put into freeze like Testing before release, but since Unstable's main purpose is to act as a staging area for Testing, it is effectively frozen at the same time as Testing. Unstable may have slightly newer versions of some packages during a freeze, or even packages that were removed from Testing because they were deemed too unstable or buggy for release, but no major new software versions are introduced. (For example, GNOME 3.4 is in both Sid and Wheezy even though GNOME 3.6 is considered stable upstream.) Once Wheezy is released, Sid will be forked to become the basis for Jesse, then it will effectively be unfrozen.

There are actually several proposals to create a truly rolling branch of Debian that are often brought up around release time. The consensus, at the moment at least, seems to be that creating a rolling release would distract developers from fixing release-critical bugs - thus preventing Testing from being released in a timely manner - and generally reduce the quality of Debian as a whole.

Canonical might be able to pull off a rolling release of Ubuntu with some software that they maintain internally, such as Unity or the Linux kernel, but they don't have the resources to independently maintain every package in the Debian archive. I think that their "rolling release" will focus mainly on a few key packages that Canonical themselves maintain, and the remainder will be maintained by regular imports from Sid. Effectively, Ubuntu's rolling release will semi-freeze the same way Sid does, though possibly to a lesser extent, when Debian freezes Testing. The only practical way around that limitation would be for Debian to create a true rolling-release branch, which isn't likely to happen, or Canonical to re-base on another distribution, which is even less likely to happen.

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Karl L.

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Debian in my opinion has a slighty different Market to Ubuntu, "rolling release" and "stable" does not always go well hand in hand.

I completely agree. I'm definitely against Debian adding a rolling-release repository. Fortunately, it seems that the vast majority of Debian Developers agree with me.

Canonical, on the other hand, might be able to pull it off. My last post might have made it sound a little like I'm against Ubuntu becoming a rolling distribution: I'm not. I merely pointed out some of the challenges they will face making that happen. That said, I'm sure they've thought it through.

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cybertimber2008

Posted
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I've seen some nods from the Fedora camp that they may move into rolling releases, or at least offer both stable releases and a rolling release. They currently have something like that (rawhide) but it's not an official rolling release.

Based on my experience with Arch on a pogoplug, rolling releases need to be improved a bit but there is a lot of promise there as long as they roll smoother than a square tire.

And I'd greatly like a more frequently updated DE.

Rising Star

tim_s

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Now I based my information on distrowatch and I understand the time between today and the rolling release but it is my opinion that the stability / cutting edge mixture they have currently adopted (and usability) is what brought Ubuntu to the fore-front of popularity.

The Ubuntu distro losing popularity and I am sure many have opinions why - changing the release strategy might not be the move to reverse the path they are on.

Perhaps current adopters might have a fluctuation but the "windows" converts will be further distanced and for those who are looking for a "light" distro may leave.

This is a wild statement but I have always felt that Ubuntu provided the strengths of Linux without the feel and complexity.

This is not to say Ubuntu is limiting - clearly it can be used by hardcore / new comers a like.

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tim_s

Posted
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To back step a little I missed the fact LTS releases will sexist but I would still expect on some level windows converts will be entangled with this concept of "most recent release" and the expectation of everything being close to perfect.

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simonlang

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good idea imho. and in the meantime i just use fuduntu, as it is a rolling release plus combines the best of ubuntu and fedora.

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Growled Member

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Now I based my information on distrowatch and I understand the time between today and the rolling release but it is my opinion that the stability / cutting edge mixture they have currently adopted (and usability) is what brought Ubuntu to the fore-front of popularity.

The Ubuntu distro losing popularity and I am sure many have opinions why - changing the release strategy might not be the move to reverse the path they are on.

I don't think Ubuntu cares about the desktop anymore. They are more focused on mobile now.

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tim_s

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I don't think Ubuntu cares about the desktop anymore. They are more focused on mobile now.

To be fair Ubuntu has been looking to spread itself around in all sorts of already heavily dominated markets.

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