[OT] suites (was Re: re evolution)

[Justin Pryzby <justinpryzby@users.sourceforge.net>]

> --- Justin Pryzby <justinpryzby@users.sourceforge.net> wrote:
> > On Mon, Apr 03, 2006 at 11:38:47PM -0400, Caleb
> > Storms wrote:
> > > sorry version 2.4.2.1-1
> > > 
> > > long day
> > :)
> > 
> > Anyway this is closed in 2.4.2.1-2, which is in sid.
> >  hppa and mipsel
> > buildds are being slow, which at least one of the
> > things preventing it
> > from moving to testing.
>
On Tue, Apr 04, 2006 at 01:44:23PM +0100, Nikolay Kichukov wrote:
> hello,
> Just to make sure:
> Is the testing branch the one that comes after
> unstable, or is it the other way round?
Debian uses a handful of suites:

   unstable
   testing
   stable
   oldstable
   experimental

New uploads typically go to unstable.  After a period there when no
major bugs in them are discovered, they move to testing (assuming that
this doesn't break anything).  For more info:

  http://debian.org/devel/testing

Periodically, when testing has a sufficiently small number of bugs
("0"), and 'when it is time', it is relabeled "stable" and cd images
are made and everybody is relieved.  The old "stable" becomes
"oldstable" and the old "oldstable" moves to archive.debian.org.

experimental is a place where stuff can get put where others can
easily test it, but nothing from experimental is ever installed unless
it is specifically and explicitly requested.

> Then, why is it, very often, it happens to
> applications to totally "stuck" in the testing branch
> after dist-upgrade?
I don't know what you mean.  s/stuck/suck/ ?  The stated goal of the
testing distribution is to always have a complete, "nearly releasable"
suite.  bugs in testing happen, but what more can you do than make
them available in "unstable" beforehand?

Justin