Mandriva

New release cycle announced

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We're happy to announce a new release cycle for the mainline Mandriva Linux distribution in the year 2007.

The summary is that, following the experiment with a one year release cycle that resulted in the popular and well-received Mandriva Linux 2007 release, we have decided that while the one year release cycle had definite advantages including increased stability in the released product and a freeing up of developer resources to devote to projects such as Mandriva Kiosk and Mandriva One, we did miss the advantages of a faster pace (and so did some of our customers, as you let us know!) We are therefore returning to making releases every six months, but with some small changes from the previous six-month cycle.

The next Mandriva Linux release will be named Mandriva Linux 2007 Spring and will arrive around six months after Mandriva Linux 2007, in April. It will feature all the latest and greatest open source software and, as always, some innovative new features. However, the base system - particularly the kernel - will be consistent with Mandriva Linux 2007 (plus, of course, all the bug fix and security updates that have been released for it in the meantime). On the new six month cycle, the base system will remain stable for twelve months (or two releases) at a time, in order to try and preserve the stability benefits of a twelve month cycle and provide a stable foundation for ISVs and hardware vendors to build on, while regaining the freshness that a six month cycle allows.

Users with cutting-edge hardware that requires a newer kernel need not panic, however: the widely-used kernel-tmb alternative kernels from the /contrib repository, maintained by members of our valued volunteer development community, will be updated to the very latest versions.

In accordance with the schedule we have also started pre-planning for the following version of Mandriva Linux, currently named Mandriva Linux 2008, which will be released around six months after 2007 Spring and will feature an updated base system.

The security lifetime of Mandriva Linux products is not affected: each release still receives twelve months of support for 'desktop' components and eighteen months of support for 'base system' components. The release cycles and security lifetimes of Mandriva Corporate products - Corporate Server, Corporate Desktop, and MNF - are also not affected by this change.

Main - New release cycle announced
Version 1.14 last modified by awilliamson on 27/01/2007 at 18:51

Comments (9)

sbelkin | 24.01.2007 at 01:07 PM
Please Adam, stop to use season as a time reference. Consider that many users live far away from Europe. Thanks!
wobo | 24.01.2007 at 01:32 PM
sbelkin's hint at the southern globe makes sense! either change the name or make all kiwis and wombats and gnus and lamas move up north (yes, those cobras living south of the equator, too)!

wobo

sbelkin | 24.01.2007 at 01:40 PM
XD LOL
wobo | 24.01.2007 at 01:44 PM
Oops! Forgot the penguins!!!

(Club moderators: if this is too silly, just remove the comment!)

awilliamson | 24.01.2007 at 08:42 PM
Fair point. I'll adjust it.
congdonb | 25.01.2007 at 12:59 AM
I also do not like the season in the distribution release title. I like the naming convention of Mandriva 2007 and Mandriva 2007.1 to be followed by Mandriva 2008. Issue here is that a .1 increment by convention in software versions indicates a minor version upgrade and due to potential major upgrades or added features a number of Mandriva 2007.5 for six month release would be technically more correct especially if features other than security and bug fixes are included. I do agree that the Mandriva 2007 should remane in the distribution title for the second 6 month release as long as kernal and base is the same. My only big issue with the current naming convention is that Mandriva 2007 comes out in Oct 2006 and in my mind it should be Mandriva 2006.8 or something. The year in the title which is months before the actual calendar year is like buying and selling new cars which come out months before the actual new year. In my view the April 2007 release should be called Mandriva 2007 and the following Octotober's release could be called Mandriva 2007.5 or something like it.

Other thoughts on the issue are to go back to a more traditional versioning like Madriva 12 and midyear release could be Mandriva 12.5 or Mandriva 12 Plus etc. and each annual realease would get the next number of Mandriva 13 etc.

-Bill

gonzague30 | 25.01.2007 at 10:29 PM
in France the new cars models come in july
desmondarmstrong | 27.01.2007 at 12:23 PM
From our experience with Mandriva 2006 with all the updates what has proved a real lifesaver has been the core updates disk. As the initial release both of Mandriva 2006 and of mandriva 2007 have been so very problematic surely we should be considering core updates for Mandriva 2007. I would go further and say that a core updates disk now would be very valuable (Jan/Feb 2007) and perhaps a further one later in the present cycle. I am very aware that work is required to generate such a core updates disk but it does allow one to get the system up and running much more easily. With the present stability of Mandriva 2006 we should strive to achieve a corresponding stablility for Mandriva 2007 quickly and efficiently. We nee Mandriva 2007 for it's support of newer hardware as well as it's additional features.
luismago | 27.01.2007 at 06:51 PM
You can call it Mandriva 2007 Equinox ;)

 


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Creator: awilliamson on 2007/01/24 07:32
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