On 17/10/11 00:17, James Freer wrote:
ubuntu's achilles heel... frequent releases and development don't work. I've always felt that they'd be better off with an annual release. Two years (LTS)... too long to cater for developments adequately.
I am not sure about that...Two years for the LTS is fine as generally people who stick to the LTS want a fixed environment or it is an office full of PC's, LTS is supported as a desktop OS for 3 years but replaced after 2.
On the other side if you did yearly releases of the non LTS version then people that want to be on the bleeding edge..aren't. Also the model Ubuntu have done to date is mostly pushed the big updates in before a non LTS release so they get 3 shots at implimenting the Unity's and the Pulse Audio's of this world and have all the non LTS campers provide the feedback. Then traditionally the 4th release (LTS) is generally unexciting and is just a tidyup of the new stuff added over the last 3 releases. You won't see any fundamental changes in 12.04 over 11.10 as they will be too busy making it nice and tidy for LTS.
Six month release for xubuntu is fine as the development is gradual... that's the way ubuntu should have stayed (it's going downhill with Unity) - not thought through carefully enough from the beginning. [prophet's spoken - i have a five inch beard now after just a year!].
Well see the other model is one of continual gradual upgrades. So LMDE for example just tracks Debian Testing...so no releases as such just a non stop rolling upgrade. That's fine if you don't mind the carpet changing under your feet but there are commercial environments where that wouldn't be appropriate.
As to whether Unity is truly downhill....I think it's too early to tell for sure. It certainly needs more work though.