Re: [gedit-list] Gedit updates for Ubuntu

[Frederic Back <fredericback gmail com>]

On Mon, 2006-11-06 at 23:03 +1100, Peter Anderson wrote:
> Thanks for the prompt reply.  This seems like an odd response for a
> Linux software product.  In my relatively short experience many
> software packages (including the Linux kernel (or parts of it)) are
> updated regularly without the need for a complete system update.
> These packages come as a *.deb file that actually include all the
> relevant dependent software.  It ought not be too difficult to have a
> G-edit deb release.
> 
> I'm not sure if you realise but Ubuntu "Breezy" is a long-term support
> release and is designed to be supported and improved over a number of
> years.  Does that mean that if I choose to stick with "Breezy" then I
> will never get an up-grade to G-edit?  That seems like an odd policy
> from the developers of G-edit.  I hope this is not going to be the
> case.

Peter,

this is not how it works in the linux world: There is a big difference
between software development and software deployment.

People like Paolo and many others create software in their spare time,
and publish that software in form of a _release_ when they see fit or
sometimes (like in the case of GNOME affiliated software) in a regular
interval. 

Linux _distributions_ (like ubuntu, gentoo, etc) on the other hand
distribute an OS along with a set of software to use with. They also
choose _how_ to give that software away: In the case of ubuntu they do
it in the form of a debian package. It is the distribution that decides
what program version to publish with which OS version, not the software
project.

If you'd like to use the latest version of a program, you can either
compile it manually (as many do), or stick with a recent version of your
operating system, which is a good idea anyway in the fastpaced world of
Free Software.

Regards,
Fred