-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 So, there isn't a way to upgrade packages in the stable version? Like if there is a new version of openssl, could one just do apt-upgrade or something like that or are they stuck with the version included on the CD? If this is a case, then one can run a pretty up-to-date system with the stable version, correct? Also, how long has the current Sarge been out? Thanks for answering my questions. Robby On Wed, Apr 19, 2006 at 03:48:01PM -0400, Charles Hallenbeck wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > Hi Robbie, > > I don't think Debian is available on CD's much beyond the stable release > (Sarge) or maybe an earlier stable one. I doubt you could keep it up to > date over a dialup connection. You would be spending lots of hours > retrieving stuff, at least with unstable you would. > > There are always three versions of Debian available. Currently stable is > called Sarge, testing is called Etch, and unstable is always called Sid. > Stable remains fixed except for security updates. Etch is a sort of > staging area where the next stable release gradually takes shape. > Eventually it will be judged mature enough to replace Sarge as the > stable version, at which point Sarge becomes history, Etch becomes the > stable release, and a new name is thought up for a new testing release. > > Meanwhile Sid exists (unstable) as a kind of rapid turnover beta testing > collection of things. New offerings appear in Sid first, where they > remain until the kinks are worked out. Users of Sid are warned that > things might sometimes break, but the fact is that when that happens, > they get fixed pretty quickly too. Packages are moved into testing from > unstable at some point, hopefully bug free, but of course occasionally > something show up in testing that had not been seen before. When that > happens, testing is generally out of luck until the cycle begins again. > The fix appears in unstable and is put through the mill again, > eventually returning to testing after a successful exposure in Sid. > > So you see, if you really to keep up with the latest version of things, > unstable is the place to be. If you want a rock solid release that will > not give you any surprises, then stable is the place to be. If you want > to be a little bit ahead of the game, but are afraid of being a beta > tester, then testing might be the place. The trouble with testing is > that broken packages stay broken until they pass the test of use in > unstable once more. > > HTH > > Chuck > > - -- > The Moon is Waning Gibbous (65% of Full) > Get downloads from http://www.mhcable.com/~chuckh > and remember, INFORMATION WANTS TO BE FREE! > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.4.3 (GNU/Linux) > > iD8DBQFERpPxXnuiIOyDVQURAqsOAKCLdRRCdTBppFDrAtm5c94rJukKtwCeOkZm > eOT5fzF+sEev7xEkM+vNqd4= > =3DM6 > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFERqUswamDI1Gy2GIRAov+AKCv1/hvjKTyR18vPbWyyJ0nCO6UswCgnqe1 CNSCsog4mSReS+Lsjwo5q6A= =LWz4 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
