Suggestion for new repository of software - new versions, of software in between Ubuntu releases

[Colin Watson]

On Wed, Nov 10, 2004 at 11:34:00AM +0000, David Marsh wrote:
> To be honest, I'll be (genuinely) very impressed if Ubuntu does manage
> to achieve precise 6-monthly releases just because software development
> never goes to plan(!) and there's always bound to be something that takes
> some extra days to sort out or revert..
> 
> Hence I'm wondering, would it possibly be an idea to agree to delay a
> formal release by a period of absolutely not longer than 1 month *if*
> (and only if) a known "core" application was about to have a major upgrade 
> within that period (and I do mean a significant upgrade, not a minor point 
> release, which, unless it's an important bugfix (which presumably would 
> get picked up by the security updates anyway?) isn't so important as to 
> be worth spending 'official' time on - nobody *needs* to be /that/ 
> uptodate), or would even that extra delay not allow sufficient time for 
> testing that upgrade to ensure it worked well with the rest of the 
> pending release..?

I don't do Ubuntu release management except for kibitzing on the
sidelines, but from release management experience elsewhere I can say
that this tends not to work. At the speed things move in the free
software world, if you wait one month for application X about all you
achieve is to bring yourself right up to the point where application Y
is just about to do a killer new release. Saying "we'll release every
six months, and we won't wait" is really the only workable answer.

> By a "core application" I mean certain 'killer apps' such as Firefox, 
> OpenOffice, Evolution, which Ubuntu has deemed to be the "core apps" for
> the distro. I strongly suspect that very major components (not apps)
> such as X, GNOME or the kernel would be far too large (and 'lower level') 
> to attempt to fit in as last-minute additions during such a limited period 
> and would simply have to be held over to the next formal release. 

And, of course, we're synced to GNOME's release schedule anyway.

Cheers,

-- 
Colin Watson                                    [cjwatson at canonical.com]