On Wednesday 26 February 2003 12:53 am, Anne Wilson wrote: > On Wednesday 26 Feb 2003 12:53 am, Ric Tibbetts wrote: > > > Mandrake releases X.0, X.1, X.2. Then it jumps to Y.0, Y.1, Y.2. It > > > has nothing to do with "point" releases or "version" releases. > > > Technically, they are ALL "version" releases. > > > > Which was exactly my point. > > Seems to me there is logic in the MandrakeSoft model, but not the logic we > (and other users) expect. This is, in fact, a big problem that needs to be > considered. Whether Mdksft like it or not, people expect point releases to > be 'fixes' and version releases to be major. > > It used to be said 'Never buy any software in a .0 release', but in this > context all Mandrake releases are .0 releases. This keeps it at the > bleeding edge, but never quite as 'finished' as some users not only want, > but need. > > I don't have any answers. Maybe being 'bleeding edge' is the USP of > Mandrake. I only know that business decisions like this are never simple, > but it is essential to keep in mind the perceptions of those outside the > company. > > Anne
Well, version 5 to 6 changed the kernel version, 6 to 7 changed the installer to a GUI, and backported things from the 2.3 kernel like UDMA, 7 to 8 changed the compiler, the glibc and the kernel, and 8 to 9 changed binary compatibility of rpms, the bare essentials of GTK+ to GTK2, and KDE to version 3. 9.0 and 9.1 rpms can work together, but the compiler is finally a departure from 2.96 which has been the workhorse since 8.0 (none of the gcc3.xy releases tested as reliably til now). Every release has new features. If you want stable as in server use there is Corporate Server, and MNF. If you want stable (mostly bug-free) desktop, there is Debian(and if Mandrake did as suggested, withholding new features til a major number change, it would be as out of date as Debian and in an entirely different market, well maybe not quite---it is easier to build rpms than dpkgs--the price for smooth updates is VERY high). The point is that you CANNOT have a lot of new features only on the break of the major number and remain competitive. The release every six months is only one product, which most seem to use for everything and _expect_ to be everything. And some of the reasoning I have seen employed in this thread is, "stick with the big ones, they'll be around, even if they don't have all the bells and whistles, and they have Certification programs, too" .... I seem to have heard that described before on some website... http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/9267/fuddef.html Yes, there it is... Civileme
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