How to call a move from 9.04 to 9.10 as a new install?

[John Scott]

-----Original Message-----
From: Dotan Cohen <dotancohen at gmail.com>
Sent: Wed, Nov 4, 2009 2:37 pm
Subject: Re: How to call a move from 9.04 to 9.10 as a new install?
> Technically, you upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 by using wipe and fresh
> install as the upgrade method. The term "upgrade" implies a transition
>  from one thing to another. For example if you said that you decided 
to
> upgrade from a 3 series BMW to a 5 series BMW, no one would expect you
> to gut the car and salvage the frame and wheels, then replace then
> engine, seats, body, and feature set of the car but making it
> technically the same car because of the chassis number. Everyone would
> assume you traded in your old one and purchased a new one. This is 
both
> a new car purchase--and an upgrade by way of trade-in.
>

>The problem is that Ubuntu uses the same word "upgrade" for a
>different process: that of gutting and salvaging the BMW. Therefore to
>avoid ambiguity I ask what the correct word is for the procedure I
>described.

That is my point. The term upgrade cannot be used this way and not be 
ambiguous. To disambiguate, you must say:
Upgraded via "In-place Upgrade" or "Wipe and clean Install"
If it is a first time install, that is a First-Time Install of Ubuntu 
or New Install depending on the context.


>> So here we have several important points:
>>1. An upgrade need not retain something of old.
>>
>However in this case the term upgrade is ambiguous.

No, the term is NOT ambiguous unless there is a doubt whether or not a 
transition has taken place. A statement that an upgrade has been done  
 from something to something leaves no doubt about that. If you want to 
leave no doubt as to the method, you must emphatically state the 
method. Upgrade does not emphatically imply that no clean install has 
been done so if that is your question, you still have your answer.

Don't believe me, buy Windows 7 Upgrade. You can do an in place upgrade 
of Vista or clean install; the Windows installer drives both processes 
but one preserves your data and the other does not.

> 3. Anyone who comments on this has too much free time on his hands.
>

>While you may have too much free time on your hands, it is important
>for those of us responsible for maintaining Ubuntu installations to
>differentiate between freshly installed systems and those which were
>converted from one version to another.

I realize this. I thought it would be obvious that this was a joke 
given that I was...commenting...on it. I obviously underestimated your 
seriousness with the subject matter so please forgive my unwelcome 
humor.