[KLUG Members] OK, I just have to ask . . .

[Robert G. Brown]

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:51:17 -0500, "Mark Kowitz" <mkowitz at gmail.com> wrote:

>You know the big hub-bub of MS releasing Vista, and how many
>geeky-type folks can't wait to get their hands on and install this
>latest OS release in the last 3-4 years?
Lots, I guess. I don't keep track of this, and in any case it's hard.
Various news organizations kick up quite a lot of fuss and hype about
this... I think that Vista has only been mentioned only once or 
twice in my hearing range in the last few months, and eagernees was
not the atmosphere. 

>Many Linux distros have release schedules much tighter than MS, such
>as Ubuntu, for instance, that updates on a six month cycle.
Many... most aren't even that organizaed. Generally, large organizations
pushed to get release cycles that long. 

>Do any of you, or other users you are in contact with, update your
>machines every release?
Ususally more often, like ciritcal patches or specific package updates.

>I mean, there must be great improvements...
why?

> and jumps in technology, or they wouldn't be bothering so often.
Please explain, releasing is not only the economic choice you seem to 
imply, nor is it limited to these concerns.

>I personally don''t have the time or patience to update my OS...
Then don't.

>..., re-install apps, and tweak things up again, even once a year!
What apps need to be re-installed when you install, say a kernel?

What are your thoughts?
In open source culture, release cycles are comparitively short (by 
commercial standards), since release can be done to reach an audience
of developers. There are "bug fix only" releases, or "performance only"
releases. Developers expect that users are either religiously applying
updates (a practice that amuses me, too), or they are reading the 
change log, and only updating when there's something compelling.

You're also getting an answer from someone who had, until rather recently,
a customized Red Hat Linux 5.2 box, which I put together in 1998 or
something.

						Regards,
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