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#1 2019-03-21 22:17:27

callmejoe
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Registered: 2019-03-06
Posts: 71

[Solved]rolling release?

still fuzzy on what is meant by rolling release.  so i understand that Arch doesn't have version releases like other distros.  the other linux distro (Mint) i use is always pushing package and kernel updates that i can choose to install, almost every other day.  pacman -Syu usually gives me a few package updates a week too.

what is different about Mint's package updates from the way you update Arch packages?

Last edited by callmejoe (2019-03-22 11:27:33)

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#2 2019-03-21 22:19:48

graysky
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Re: [Solved]rolling release?


CPU-optimized Linux-ck packages @ Repo-ck  • AUR packagesZsh and other configs

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#3 2019-03-21 23:03:23

a821
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Registered: 2012-10-31
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#4 2019-03-22 00:43:31

callmejoe
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Registered: 2019-03-06
Posts: 71

Re: [Solved]rolling release?

i thought this was the discussion forum....not the give me homework forum.

seriously though i read through these.  what makes the maintainer of a distro decide to come out with a new version.  what is the trigger for that?

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#5 2019-03-22 00:56:59

jasonwryan
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Posts: 30,424
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Re: [Solved]rolling release?

There is no "distro maintainer". Package maintainers package new versions for Arch once they are released as stable by upstream.

Arch developers work on Arch- or pacman-specific projects, including our infrastructure, in their free time.


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#6 2019-03-22 01:00:39

callmejoe
Member
Registered: 2019-03-06
Posts: 71

Re: [Solved]rolling release?

jasonwryan wrote:

There is no "distro maintainer". Package maintainers package new versions for Arch once they are released as stable by upstream.

Arch developers work on Arch- or pacman-specific projects, including our infrastructure, in their free time.

i was referring to maintainers of ubuntu or mint for instance.

i found this that helped understand it a bit more.  thanks

https://www.zdnet.com/article/understan … -releases/

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#7 2019-03-22 01:04:00

Trilby
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Registered: 2011-11-29
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Re: [Solved]rolling release?

callmejoe wrote:

seriously though i read through these.

Then that may be worth noting in your question, and you may want to highlight what part of it was not clear.  How are we to know if you have read it?  Should we restate what has already been written just incase you hadn't read anything else yet?

This is not a "give me homework" forum, but it is a "we expect you've done your homework" forum.

callmejoe wrote:

what makes the maintainer of a distro decide to come out with a new version.  what is the trigger for that?

That might be better directed to the forum of a distro that actually does that.  I have no idea what trigger's Mint devs to release a new version.  But I do know when it happens it is such a PITA to try to upgrade from the older version that even their official advice has usually been just to reinstall.

Every few years wipe your system and install the newest version, that's the point release approach.  Arch you install once and use indefinitely.  The system I'm currently on was installed 5.5 years ago:

$ sed 1q /var/log/pacman.log
[2013-12-12 16:45] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -r /mnt -Sy --cachedir=/mnt/var/cache/pacman/pkg --noconfirm base base-devel vim wireless_tools'

"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#8 2019-03-22 01:14:36

callmejoe
Member
Registered: 2019-03-06
Posts: 71

Re: [Solved]rolling release?

Trilby wrote:

I have no idea what trigger's Mint devs to release a new version.

with 21,081 posts i would think you have a good understanding of all things GNU/Linux and would have some insights. EDIT I take this back, you always provide good insights

Trilby wrote:

This is not a "give me homework" forum, but it is a "we expect you've done your homework" forum

and i will admit i did not do much research on this before i posted. hmm

Last edited by callmejoe (2019-03-22 01:21:40)

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#9 2019-03-22 01:46:44

Trilby
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Registered: 2011-11-29
Posts: 29,444
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Re: [Solved]rolling release?

Thanks - but that may not be so true.  I hope I have useful insight about arch linux - often delivered with some snark - but my dabblings in other distros has been *extremely* limited.

I've tried to help people with updating old Mint systems and have been baffled by how complex it is - and further baffled by official support channels for that distro saying it's hopeless and one should just reinstall from scratch.  That's been enough for me to know I don't want to know more about such distros.

Hell even those two mainstream OSs have processes for migrating between major releases of the OS (painful though they may be, such processes are generally supported).

EDIT I also know next to nothing about the major modern DEs for similar reasons.  A brief dabbling was enough for me to conclude such software was not done right, so I'm not going to fight with it.

In any case, given the zdnet article you found, is this thread SOLVED, or do you have remaining questions that you could specify / clarify?

Last edited by Trilby (2019-03-22 01:51:27)


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#10 2019-03-22 03:05:43

ewaller
Administrator
From: Pasadena, CA
Registered: 2009-07-13
Posts: 19,739

Re: [Solved]rolling release?

Here is my take.  Distributions that have "releases" are large projects that use a set of libraries against which all of the packages for that release are generally built.   Things that are ready are included. Things that are not ready are not included.  If some package is really - really required, the new distro release will be delayed to wait until that package is ready; otherwise the package will have to wait until next the next roll.   In between, one gets bug and security fixes, and (perhaps) new version of packages if they work with the libraries that are available.


Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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#11 2019-03-22 06:18:44

callmejoe
Member
Registered: 2019-03-06
Posts: 71

Re: [Solved]rolling release?

Trilby wrote:

In any case, given the zdnet article you found, is this thread SOLVED, or do you have remaining questions that you could specify / clarify?

Consider Solved

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#12 2019-03-22 06:23:50

jasonwryan
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From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
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Re: [Solved]rolling release?

You mark your thread as [Solved] by editing your first post and prepending it to the title.


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#13 2019-03-22 11:28:57

callmejoe
Member
Registered: 2019-03-06
Posts: 71

Re: [Solved]rolling release?

jasonwryan wrote:

You mark your thread as [Solved] by editing your first post and prepending it to the title.

ugh i knew that.  that's what happens when you are posting at 2:00 am  smile

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