Are there plans for 18.04 to offer GNOME updates as soon as the stable releases become available (and are tested and packaged for Ubuntu)? Would be nice to have a current and up-to-date GNOME shell and apps on an LTS release.
From what I was told on UbuntuForums, LTS releases only get security patches. So, I doubt there will be any integration of later DE updates.
@meetdilip, appreciate the info’. It’s a shame, I feel like KDE Neon and Mint has an extreme benefit for users in that they get fresh releases of desktops throughout their use of the OS. So they get general bug fixes, new features, improvements, etc. This has been one of the bigger setbacks, I’ve seen, in using LTS. (e.g. if there was a non-security but important bug in an LTS, users have to live with that bug for two years.)
Also, new bugs, potential instability, etc.
You can always use a non-LTS release if you want the latest versions.
LTS releases are intended for corporate environments and for that reason stability is the first priority.
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That seems quite a good reason for users who care about such upgrades to use the regular and quite-stable six-month releases of Ubuntu instead of LTS.
Over in the help forums we get a segment of new users who misunderstand what LTS is all about, Frankenstein their system with oodles of PPAs and non-Ubuntu sources to get the latest stuff, and then wonder why their Monster is afraid of fire and refuses to update or install anything anymore. Of course, they feel that the ultimate breakage is somehow Ubuntu’s fault.
There are lots of good-and-understandable reasons why some new users make this mistake. Suffice it to say we generally encourage them to simply try the six-month release to put the local villagers at ease.
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@nickthom:
LTS releases are intended for corporate environments and for that reason stability is the first priority.
My impression is that many - maybe most - private users also appreciate stability. They want a desktop which works. In my world, non-LTS releases are mostly for tech enthusiasts.
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Those are two different definitions of “stability”, a common misunderstanding when people discuss LTS.
@nickthom is correct that Ubuntu has historically intended to communicate the first definition (no workflow change - unchanging software).
@gunnarhj is correct that many, many users mistakenly assume the second definition (less system breakage)…which also happens to have some element of self-fulfilling truth.
This mistake confuses new users, it confuses support volunteers, it leads to Frankensteining and frustration and broken systems when users try out-of-band migrations to a different release.
I suspect that the confusion can be reduced with a bit of thesaurus work: ‘Steady’ or ‘Set’ or ‘Staying Put’ instead of ‘Stable’
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Do programs still get updates from developers on LTS releases? Like if there was a bug in the Geary email client in 16.04 or the upcoming 18.04, will they fix the bug and publish an update to LTS releases?
Generally the same regardless of LTS or Interim release.
Yes: Security bugs.
Yes: Major bugs (see Stable Release Updates)
No: Minor bugs
If you discover a minor bug in an LTS application, be sure to test in a more recent release of Ubuntu before reporting…it may be long fixed.
Appreciate all the help and info’, all. Thanks!