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

[Quinn Balazs]

This is a fine place to have this discussion. We have an opinion status
so that people can voice their opinions on which directions the project
should be headed. Community involvement is always welcomed. Keep all
discussion civil, try not to post just to post (as everyone subscribed
gets an email when you do).

Now onto my personal thoughts about this...

14.04 would technically be the next LTS release, being released April
2014 10th, and being supported until April 10th 2019. 13.10 was released
October 19th 2013, and will continue to be supported until July 2014.
The XP user base is huge, and judging by how they have resisted updating
to 7, or 8, not particularly pleased with the direction that 7, or 8
took. Waiting to update to 14.04LTS means that they will literally be
hanging onto XP until the last possible moment. There wouldn't be a
gradual transition from XP to Ubuntu, which there could be if users had
the peace of mind of knowing 13.10 was going to be supported for a time
to come. Abrupt change is never pleasant, and as we all know, the first
few weeks (month?) after anything is released, are particularly trying.
On the other hand, changing the cycle to make 13.10 an LTS release,
would mess with the timing of LTS release, making 15.10 be the next one
instead of 16.04. I have a feeling that trying to change the LTS
schedule will overcomplicate things presently and in the future.

I'll be curious as to what the community in general has to say about
this. There are definite pros and cons to each scenario, but in the end
it will come down to what would need to be changed to bump 13.10 to LTS
status and change the timeline of things to come.

Quinn Balazs

** Changed in: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu)
       Status: Opinion => Invalid

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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:
  Invalid

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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