DebianLTSCoordination

Summary

Coordinate a freeze (not a release) of major components of the OS between the upcoming Ubuntu LTS (10.04) and Debian release, with no requirement to be lockstep on any particular component where there are technical reasons not to.

Release Note

Rationale

Benefits:

  • Shipping with same core parts of the OS, like Xorg, kernel, gcc, python...
  • October LTS allows for OpenJDK 7, a more modular Java with some possibility of including it on the CD
  • python 2.7 10.05/06
  • Kubuntu and Debian-KDE will be matched for same major version, easing collaboration
  • Can track Debian testing for a longer period for a delayed Debian import freeze, to get more bugfixes in the LTS with minimal risk

User stories

Assumptions

Design

Implementation

UI Changes

Code Changes

Migration

Test/Demo Plan

Unresolved issues

UDS Karmic Gobby Notes

What are the risks?

  • Debian is ultimately unable to commit to the schedule and we wind up not getting the benefits that we sought

What are the reasons to want 10.04 LTS instead of a 10.10 LTS?

  • short overlap for desktop LTS support: 8.04 LTS is only supported until 11.04 on the desktop
    • ask the question of whether we could voluntarily extend the support window for 8.04 LTS on desktop
  • northern hemisphere planning to roll updates during summer, like in schools. 9.04 would be unsupported by 10.10 is released

    • there's no 9.04 -> 10.10 direct upgrade path supported, so does that really matter?

      • true, but these are reinstallations, not upgrades. they have to be tested anyway, and that can't be done midterm

Social consequences?

  • needs to be messaged as a trial, not an ongoing commitment to synchronize release schedules
  • we need to be careful to not leave Ubuntu developers with the impression that it's unacceptable to diverge from Debian where needed
  • new gcc upstream will land in Apr 2010 - will it be suitable for inclusion in a 10.10 LTS? A 10.10 Debian release?
    • there is an opportunity for synchronization there regardless of which version Ubuntu chooses, since either may be acceptable to Debian
  • kernel: not definite due to different targets, but worth having the conversation
  • X: similar; depends on whether Debian is comfortable with pulling in a newer version of X at that time. Lenny shipped with 7.3, 4 months after intrepid which shipped with 7.4.
  • python 3 vs. python 2
    • at least we can coordinate which versions of python2 and python3 to use

  • perl: no-brainer Smile :-)

  • GNOME:

    • http://live.gnome.org/ThreePointZero/Plan

    • Obvious possibilities:
      • 2.30 ready as 3.0 (karmic+1), so we might want to defer LTS until karmic+2
      • 2.30 not ready, and so karmic+1 would make a better LTS target
      • we may not know this until closer to the time ...
      • desktop team may be prepared to hang back at the previous version of GNOME if 3.0 is happening around LTS time

CategorySpec

FoundationsTeam/Specs/DebianLTSCoordination (last edited 2009-08-12 20:16:49 by 99-156-85-10)