Re: Dreamhost dumps Debian

On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 12:46 PM, Steve Langasek <vorlon@debian.org> wrote:

On Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 11:48:13PM -0400, Michael Gilbert wrote:
> > Russ already replied and I agree with its reply. Just to say that Debian
> > usually has a 3 year support. This is the kind of misguiding that I
> > usually hear when people promotes Ubuntu over Debian.

> I know already that this isn't a popular idea, but another option
> would be to release less often. If releases were every 3 years, then
> the support window would be 4 years, which almost gets to the apparent
> sweet spot of 5.

I think the more useful option would be for Debian to figure out how to
lengthen its security support window instead.

Agreed.

I know many companies that see Ubuntu's non-LTS releases as release candidates with real-world testing and LTS's as stable releases. That's why Ubuntu is successful: when a company picks an LTS, they perceive it as something that has been properly stabilized (although often times it's not true, e. g. Mir in the next LTS).

Maybe we should adopt a similar model:

- Stable release every 12-18 months to avoid shipping rotten software

- Alternate releases are LTS

- LTS releases get 4-5 years support (to determine)

- Non-LTS releases get 6 months support after the release of the next LTS version

- LTS overlap in support for at least 1 year to give users ample time to move to the next LTS

E. g:

- In January 2014 we release Debian 8.0. We make this an LTS release, meaning it would get updates for, say 3 years (until January 2017), and security updates for 5 years (until January 2019).

- In February 2015 we release Debian 9.0. Non-LTS release. It will get at least 1 year of support (because we won't release the next version until at least 1 year later) + 6 months

- In April 2016 we release Debian 10.0. LTS release. It will get again 3 years of updates and 5 years of security updates. This means support for Debian 9.0 will end in October 2016 (LTS release date + 6 months)

- ...

</ideastorm>

--
Pau Garcia i Quiles
http://www.elpauer.org
(Due to my workload, I may need 10 days to answer)