[wellylug] NZ Ubuntu Repository

[Daniel Pittman]

"Jeff Hunt" <jeffhunt90 at gmail.com> writes:

> Thanks for that.  I didn't know that was the policy. 

It is, in fact, one of the key attractions of the Debian and Ubuntu
distributions -- at least, to the older, more staid members of the user
community.  Since I count into that group I can be rude ^W cutesy about
us. ;)

> My experience is that the process of getting a new version of the
> operating system is far more fraught than installing new software.

Generally, yes, when you compare upgrading one single package (Amaya) to
upgrading the two thousand packages that changed between one Ubuntu
release and the next.

The problem is that the risks mostly come from the changes in software
version in individual packages -- not from the number of upgrades done
at any one time.

So, by upgrading on an application by application basis through the
entire distribution you commit everyone to the same risks as you would
hit doing an OS upgrade.  Just, you know, every few days. ;)

> I guess I shall just have to keep chasing software around the world
> and install it myself. For instance Amaya which I use all the time has
> major valuable improvements every month or so.

I compile my own version of XEmacs on my Ubuntu system because I have
special needs.  If you need those improvements to Amaya sufficiently
then you, too, probably benefit from maintaining that one package
yourself.

> The idea that Dapper will be 3 years out of date by the end of its
> support is a little odd.  

It isn't, entirely: there is a process to push newer versions of
packages into it.  That is a very slow and careful process, though,
because the selling point of "long term support" is that it stays stable
for ever.

Also, any security issues in the LTS release are addresses, so it is
never "out of date" in that regard.

> Sorry if I sound grumpy, but I thought I had clever people keeping me
> up to date.  Thanks for the info.

No problem.  Finding out that you didn't get what you thought can be
annoying.

I would encourage you, if you have two or there specific packages you
want updated faster, to consider maintaining them yourself.  That is
about the best model you can get from pretty much any distribution.

If you want newer versions of everything then you should simply follow
the latest releases as they occur. 

The whole deal with new versions of packages is a trade off of stability
vs current versions -- and you have to pick /some/ annoyance to go with
your convenience somewhere along the way.

Regards,
        Daniel
-- 
Digital Infrastructure Solutions -- making IT simple, stable and secure
Phone: 0401 155 707        email: contact at digital-infrastructure.com.au
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