Hi,
I’ve just switched to Tumbleweed from Leap. Regarding its frequent updates and stability I am wondering what others think about the following :
Let’s assume that it is possible to configure zypper so that it doesn’t install a package if it is not in use for at least XX days. The reason behind such a scheme is that many people would like to use time-tested versions of software.
Depending on the risk appetite, a user can choose “XX days” say for example 30 days or some might choose 0 to get the packages as soon as they are released. Off course users who want the best in terms of stability can choose Leap instead.
Do you think using such a scheme add overall stability ? In particular, do you remember any past issue such a scheme would have helped ?
To begin with, how would you define this in technical terms. I assume you understand that programming such a feature asks for precise definition about what “package usage” is.
Yes. It requires quantifying the maturity of the package. But I think that is a technicality about the implementation of such a feature. If you are asking me how to quantify, I would say it is possible to approximate it. Most simple way is the number of days after it is release to the main repositories. There are definitely better ways.
Maybe we misunderstand each other. I am not talking about “the maturaty” or how it canbe measured. I am talking on how you decide that a package “is used”. You talk about it being “not used for at least XX days”. Whne you want find if it is not used, that implies imho that you must be able to decide when it IS used and hang time stamp on that.
I, for myself, have no idea how to know if a package (which can be everything, in any combination from one to many of a program, a piece of documentation, configuration files, libraries to be linked, etc. has been used.
What I meant by “being in use for at least XX days” is simply how many days past since its release. Maybe “in use” is not the best wording if you are pointing that. When there are thousands of users I think the number of days since the release of a package can be considered as a measure of its maturity.
There are companies who wait (sometimes for years) before start using a new version of a software.
So, for Tumbleweed, would waiting sometime (say 30-40 days) after a package released to the repositories improve the overall stability ?
I think I misinterpreted this as “used on your own system”. This thread being a suggestion for your personal ideas. I assume most people go for a rolling release like Tumbleweed to see new versions as soon as possible. When they want stability (like me), they go for the normal openSUSE versions and even then hate it when they are more or less forced to upgrade.
The question is not about personal preferences. It is about the change of stability over time, which not subjective.
After a package is released every day the probability of it causing a problem gets lower. Moreover, in my experience, if a package has a serious issue it is replaced quickly with a new release. If you combine those it seems like waiting sometime after release might improve stability.