Re: [LUG] Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 released

On 4/8/07, Neil Williams <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Sun, 8 Apr 2007 15:25:19 +0100
"Robin Menneer" <robinmenneer@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> > This release includes a number of updated software packages, such
> > as the K Desktop Environment 3.5 (KDE), an updated version of the
> > GNOME desktop environment 2.14, the Xfce 4.4 desktop environment,
> > the GNUstep desktop 5.2, X.Org 7.1, OpenOffice.org 2.0.4a, GIMP
> > 2.2.13, Iceweasel (an unbranded version of Mozilla Firefox
> > 2.0.0.3), Icedove (an unbranded version of Mozilla Thunderbird
> > 1.5), Iceape (an unbranded version of Mozilla Seamonkey 1.0.8),
> > PostgreSQL 8.1.8, MySQL 5.0.32, GNU Compiler Collection 4.1.1,
> > Linux kernel version 2.6.18, Apache 2.2.3, Samba 3.0.24, Python
> > 2.4.4 and 2.5, Perl 5.8.8, PHP 4.4.4 and 5.2.0, Asterisk 1.2.13,
> > and more than 18,000 other ready to use software packages.
> >
> > For whom is this package intended ?

It's not just a package - as Julian identifies, this is a complete
GNU/Linux distribution - Debian. The basis of Ubuntu and several other
distributions and a fully fledged distribution in it's own right.
19,000 packages and 11 architectures.

> > Is it the newest thing since
> > sliced bread ?

It's the newest Debian release since 2005 so it isn't quite that long,
it just feels like it.

> > Or is it a product of wonderful enthusiasm and I'm
> > better sticking with my Ubuntu.

The release of Debian 4.0 has huge implications for Ubuntu - Ubuntu
Feisty is about to receive a MASSIVE number of package updates because
Debian (the source of most Ubuntu packages) has been frozen for so long
and during a freeze, as the name suggests, packages are not updated.
Once the release is made, updates restart. The longer the freeze goes
on, the larger the number of updates that are held back.

Unfrozen packages will migrate into Debian testing (now known as Lenny)
over the next few nights, Ubuntu will pick up the updates from there.

As of today:
Debian unstable ==  sid
Debian testing ==   lenny
Debian stable ==    etch
Debian oldstable == sarge

(sid doesn't change.)

> > I don't want to change for the
> > sake of merely keeping up with the Jones.

Debian 4.0 will form the basis of the next Ubuntu release.

So all I have to do is to wait for the next Unbuntu release (which will be offered to me automatically and free). I like the sound of that.

> > Certainly I don't want
> > python or perl.

You cannot have Debian or Ubuntu without perl and you certainly can't
have a 'usable' Debian or Ubuntu installation without at least some
python.

Sorry . I meant I don't want to do any programming, I don't mind wot is hiddden in the package that I cannot see (providing it is benevolent)

That is one of the problems that Emdebian needs to solve - how to
remove both perl and python from the "essential" and "base" packages.

-
Neil Williams
=============
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