1

I want use Ubuntu with the latest stable software instead of latest stable packages. As far as I'm aware the Debian equivalent is the Debian Unstable version.

  • Is the daily live images released by Ubuntu equivalent?
  • Does it continue updating with the latest stable software after a new stable Ubuntu version is released? As in, with the daily live installation of Trusty, does it continue updating with development software after Trusty goes golden?

I'm not sure, but I think I read on Mark Shuttleworth's blog that the development version of Ubuntu is stable enough to use on desktops. I'm neither trusting nor doubting the statement, but that post seemed to imply of continuous development releases like a rolling release.

Please enlighten me.

Oxwivi
  • 18,499

2 Answers2

1

For developement releases, the vast majority of Ubuntu packages are imported from Debian Unstable/Testing:

Prior to DebianImportFreeze, new versions of packages will be automatically imported from Debian where they have not been customized for Ubuntu, that is when the version number of the package in the current Ubuntu development branch does not contain the substring "ubuntu" and there is a newer version in Debian. Imports from Debian are either from the unstable or testing branch, depending on the release (see "Derives from:" field on http://launchpad.net/ubuntu/ for more information).

For LTS releases, not only there are SRU for important bug fixes but point releases are also a way to get new hardware support, new drivers:

On a regular basis, the LTS release gets a point update which includes access to a new, current kernel (supporting new hardware without regressing the old hardware on the previous kernel, which remains supported), new OpenStack (via the Cloud Archive), and various other elements.

Sources:

Community
  • 1
Sylvain Pineau
  • 63,229
1

To answer your question directly: there is no equivalent to unstable ( where developers upload new packages all the time and you get them right away, never having to dist-upgrade ) in Ubuntu. The closest thing is the current development release, which behaves as unstable does, until it becomes a stable release, at which point, you have to dist-upgrade to the new development release if you don't want to remain stable.

psusi
  • 38,031