Ubuntu needs a new development model

[John King]

Personally, I've been thinking about suggesting an 'updates'/'main-updates' repo, for at least commonly used applications. It would be implemented in a way in which apt wouldn't auto upgrade the program (or at least ask first), but it would be accessed by an addon maybe, to the Ubuntu Software Center. That way the user can go there, click 'install newest version', and easily have the newest version of say, Firefox along with his/her Windows friends, without having to add potentially unstable PPAs or wrestling with how to get the official app working (personally, I was a noob at one point. So when I downloaded the *.tar.gz for Firefox on Linux, I assumed that meant I'd have to compile the program. I spent a half hour trying to find 'make, make install' instructions for it before realizing that it was precompiled xD I wouldn't wish that on a user who just wants to have the newest Firefox so he can keep up with his Windows friends (at least in that regard).)

Ryan Oram <ryan at infinityos.net> wrote:

>Ubuntu needs a change in direction. I propose that Ubuntu adopt a
>development model where only the core operating system, userland, core
>libraries, and desktop environment are frozen every 6 months. The
>applications would then be freely updated to the newest versions at
>all times. Package maintenance and support for the end-user
>applications would be provided by the developers themselves.
>
>This new release system would be very similar to the semi-rolling
>release system I implemented (and tested) in infinityOS.
>
>Thanks,
>Ryan Oram
>
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