>> The usual practice is to wait until there is a first point release that >> catches the most glaring bugs, see for example how the kernel and the main >> desktop environments are updated. The first point release was yesterday >> (2014-12-16) and it is already in testing. This transition would have >> occurred sooner or later because the benefits outweigh the cost of moving to >> the newer version---e,g., the ability to use elliptical curve keys---, but >> it would've been reasonable to wait for this first point release. Also I wanted to address your last sentence re the 2.1.1 point release since it is in general good advice, but not a good idea in this case unfortunately: In the release email for gnupg 2.1.1 it says it is not fit for general use and is not a stable release (latest development). **We should not upgrade to this point release, instead we should downgrade to 2.0.x.** http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2014q4/000360.html """[...] Three different versions of GnuPG are actively maintained: - GnuPG "modern" (2.1) is the latest development with a lot of new features. This announcement is about the first release of this version. - GnuPG "stable" (2.0) is the current stable version for general use. This is what most users are currently using. - GnuPG "classic" (1.4) is the old standalone version which is most suitable for older or embedded platforms. You may not install "modern" (2.1) and "stable" (2.0) at the same time. However, it is possible to install "classic" (1.4) along with any of the other versions. [...]"""
