MEPIS to switch from Ubuntu to Debian
"SimplyMEPIS [0], a very popular desktop Linux, is going to change back
to using Debian Linux for its core from Ubuntu. [1]"
"It previously moved from Debian [2] because Ubuntu has a six-month
stable release cycle that will enable MEPIS to offer its customers a
dependable release schedule, Woodford explained at the time. "
"Things have changed. "Dapper was not updated in the way our [desktop]
users expected," Woodford said. "
"Woodford explained that Ubuntu [3] is rebuilt almost from scratch every
six months using source packages from Debian EXPERIMENTAL. "This is a
wonderful thing from the point of view of improving the Debian
EXPERIMENTAL code. Over time the improvements will make their way
through Debian Unstable, Debian Testing and finally to Debian Stable.""
"But, Woodford said, for MEPIS users this means that Ubuntu does not
provide a foundation for long term incremental upgrades.
"Ubuntu is almost a whole new distro each time it's released," he said.
"By using the EXPERIMENTAL code, each and every time, the Ubuntu code
tree is inherently less stable than the Debian code tree, which contains
additional levels of testing and vetting and fixing of code.""
"So it is that Woodford has decided to go back to Debian for MEPIS'
Linux heard. In particular, he will be using Debian GNU/Linux version
4.0 -- code-named Etch."
"Woodford has also found that although Ubuntu is source compatible with
Debian, it is becoming less and less binary compatible with Debian.
"This was not obvious over a year ago, but it is very obvious now," he
said."
"What all this means for users is that, "This new process will allow us
to have a major release that can be incrementally updated for two
years," Woodford said."
[0] http://www.mepis.org/
[1] http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS6170488551.html
[2] http://www.debian.org
[3] http://www.ubuntu.com
Regards.
Andre Felipe Machado
http://www.techforce.com.br
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