[Bug 1245870] Re: Ubuntu 13.10 should be upgraded to LTS status

[Mark Rogers]

Thanks for the detailed response, all points duly noted.

Whilst I do not think that adequate provision has been made to target XP
users I do accept that (particularly at this late stage) upgrading 13.10
to LTS is not the right solution.

It remains to be seen whether the current EOL date for XP will stick, I
would be very surprised though if it does not - it would be a major
climb down. More interesting perhaps will be what they do instead. I
would expect Windows Update to be used to encourage migration to Win8
(eg an "error" in the task bar stating that no updates are available and
directing people to the MS website to have Win8 shoved in their
direction). Whilst an arbitrary date might not prompt action from end
users, an error icon in the task bar (or similar) will motivate quite a
number of users, so assuming that MS don't just leave XP users alone
Ubuntu (and/or other distros) should be ready to provide a safe and
reliable avenue for anyone who doesn't want to upgrade to new hardware.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1245870

Title:
  Ubuntu 13.10 should be upgraded to LTS status

Status in “ubuntu-meta” package in Ubuntu:
  Won't Fix

Bug description:
  I believe that Ubuntu 13.10 should be upgraded to LTS status.

  Rationale:
  - Mir missed 13.10, and may not be sufficiently mature to put into 14.04LTS, although would be acceptable in a non-LTS release.
  - Windows XP ceases to get support after April 2014. Anyone looking to Ubuntu as an upgrade path currently has three choices:
   -- Install 13.10, which ceases to be supported only shortly after XP[1]
   -- Install 12.04 LTS, which is quite old (but currently the best choice)
   -- Wait until the last minute of XP support to install 14.04LTS, which may or may not work on the XP hardware and prevents any staged migration.

  Upgrading 13.10 to LTS  status would make Ubuntu a viable choice to be
  really pushed out at XP users looking for an upgrade path, and clear
  the way for Mir development to take place without the LTS looming.
  Even if it is too late to "stop" 14.04 being considered LTS, I believe
  that the extra investment required to commit to LTS support for 13.10
  would help make Ubuntu a realistic option for XP refugees, of which
  there are many.

  Note 1: LTS is important for XP refugees because many (most?) of them
  will be supported in the migration by other Ubuntu users, often
  remotely. Getting them onto a stable platform is essential for turning
  them into long term Ubuntu users. 13.10LTS would be perfectly timed
  for XP users needing a migration path. Another opportunity like this
  won't arise for many years.

  [I appreciate that a bug report might not be the best forum for this,
  however I don't see any debate about what seems an obvious move for
  Canonical, and it seemed to me this forum was the best place to reach
  the people best qualified to comment.]

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