Re: "I do consider Ubuntu to be Debian" , Ian Murdock

[Paul E Condon <pecondon@mesanetworks.net>]

On Thu, Mar 29, 2007 at 11:36:22AM -0700, Michael M. wrote:
> On Tue, 2007-03-27 at 09:37 -0400, Roberto C. Sánchez wrote:
> 
> > As was already pointed out, if you want the latest and greatest, then
> > run with testing or unstable.  I wager that they are easily as stable
> > (if not more so) than other popular distros (like FC, for example).
> 
> 
> As stated, I've been using Etch (in "testing" mode) for close to a year
> now.  Characterizing Etch as having the "latest" is a stretch by any
> measure.  It is behind the curve of most of the popular distros'
> released versions -- versions that in most cases released in 2006.  
> 
> My hope is that the next iteration of testing (Lenny, I think?) returns
> to what I personally found to be the optimal balance between timeliness
> and stablility, up until (and at least for a while after) Etch was
> frozen.  That won't happen until Etch is out the door.

It can take a while for a newish Debian user to get used to the Debian way.
My preference is to stay somewhat 'behind the curve', but yours appears to
be to stay somewhat 'ahead of the curve'. 

For me, I run stable until I hear rumblings that testing is about to
be frozen in preparation for becoming the new stable. Then, when I
know that I have some free time to deal with computer glitches, I
change my sources.list to mention the testing version by its code
name, and do a dist-upgrade, and enjoy all the stuff that is
new-to-me. With etch mentioned by name in sources.list the coming
release of etch will be a non-event for me.

You can use a different strategy: If you are not already running
testing, dist-upgrade to it now, and use the word 'testing' in your
sources.list.  When etch is released, do nothing to your sources.list.
There will be a hiatus in testing as all the packages that have been
held back because of the freeze are released from Sid. Live thru that
as best you can. It will, in effect, bring your system into reasonable
sync with Sid. Then when you start hearing about a freeze of the next
testing (Lenny?), do a dist-upgrade to Sid, and stay there. If you
were to stay with testing, you would experience the same unhappiness
that you express now, when Lenny gets frozen for many months.

Personally, I would not do what I suggest for you, and I haven't
tested it, because, if it worked, it would not meet my emotional
needs, and if it didn't work that would probably be because I failed
to implement it intelligently.  YMMV.

-- 
Paul E Condon           
pecondon@mesanetworks.net