A reader has asked us here in DesdeLinux let's talk about the Distributions rolling release, what are its advantages and disadvantages, so here is this article to talk a little about the subject.
Imagine a rubber on a car that as it progresses, instead of wearing out, it improves and strengthens the rubber without having to be changed for any reason. Now let's replace the car rubber with a GNU / Linux distribution and rubber for its packages.
To understand a little what the rolling release, let's take as an example Ubuntu (which obviously does not have this feature). Ubuntu has a release of new versions every 6 months. This is what is called a distribution Point Release, where packages are released from time to time.
In that period of time, there is a marathon update of new packages for the later version, and therefore we can present three problems:
- We have to change the repositories every 6 months.
- Installing or updating on the version already installed can cause errors or present problems.
- Packages from the previous version are quickly becoming outdated.
It is because of that it is always recommended to do a clean installation, from scratch, although generally the most affected are users with versionitis syndrome. So what makes a distro rolling release?
Let's take Archlinux as an example. A user installs Archlinux for the first time and you will not need to reinstall unless you have a very serious system problem. Once you install all the packages you need, as they are updated with new versions, you will only have to update them from the repositories, including system packages such as Kernel.
Summing up with a simple example. In ubuntuu if you use Gnome2 with Natty, you would have to install oneric (the later version) to be able to use Gnome3. In Archlinux, if you installed it using Gnome2, just by updating (whenever available clear) you can install Gnome3 without reinstalling the system and that is what we call rolling release, that is, a distribution that releases software updates on the spot.
Advantage.
- You will always have the latest packages available.
- No need to reinstall Operating system to have the new packages.
- If any package has a Bug, the faster it is corrected, the faster you can install it with the solution.
Disadvantages
- Having the latest software can present incompatible dependency problems or errors (although this is usually rare).
- If the distribution does not release updates followed by the .iso installation, we would have to update a greater number of packages.
Example of distributions rolling release consist of Gentoo, Arch, Kahel OS, Chakra, Sabayon, ForesightLinux. And some reader may wonder And LMDE not rolling release?
With LMDE a very curious thing happens. This distribution is based on Debian Testing that although it seems to have an effect Rolling, Actually, it is not. To understand this a bit, let's look at the sources.list line for Debian Testing:
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian wheezy main contrib non-free
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free
Both currently work for the branch Testing de Debian. The problem is that, if we use the first one, when Wheezy become stable, we would no longer be using Testing. However, if we use the second, we will always be using the version Testing shift.
The effect of Rolling is Debian Testing for the simple fact that packages are updated every day, and whenever we use Testing we do not have to reinstall the system. But the difference is that, Debian Testing only update the latest packages that are added in the repositories of this branch, which do not necessarily have to be in the latest version released by its developer.
Let's take as an example again Gnome. In Debian Testing packets of Gnome 3.0 y Gnome 3.2, but separately, not the Desktop Environment full. Maybe if the Sid branch is used, the effect Rolling be a little better, but it is not recommended. But let's go back to LMDE which has new official repositories, and depending on the one we use, we will have the feeling that it is Rolling o no.
Anyway, I hope I have clarified a little on the subject. However, if you think I am missing something, or that I am in error, leave your comment 😀
Isn't it cycling release?
Uff, this is a problem that you shit. One thing you can do while updating is take a walk with your girlfriend, or with KZKG ^ Gaara and he explains that Arch is the hell of a hahaha
Point release, cycling release ... they are also called Frozen
Exact!!
I know him as Point Release.
Yup ... that's a negative point, although in the end it doesn't make much sense, because as Rolling is the same, the ISO would be discontinued quickly 😉
hahahahahahahahaha I laughed at that…. Hahaha
It is also important to say that generally the Rolling versions are not numbered ... for example Arch is only Arch, there is no Arch 10.04 or Arch 10.10 like Ubuntu ... ..but it is only generally, because for example Sabayon does have numbering (7 recently came out) but it is a rolling
Good article
Pure Life
Exact, although they can be numbered, just to define certain important cycles. But anyway, you're right.
Good clarification, I did not know this from Sabayon. Parable (based on Arch) also has no version, right? But ... not that Chakra Project does have?
Greetings and thanks for your comments 😀
Chakra yes, but I understand that it is not rolling, it is half rolling
What difference does it make? It's Rolling 😛
Courage is right it is half rolling, it is not rolling. The new versions first go through the unstable repo and then to testing.
Chakra is rolling, the numbering that it has is snapshots, that is, of the most recent published image of the state in which the distro is in determining moment ...... at this moment it is the September version that is why Chakra says 2011.09 (edn name ). Anyway, Chakra tries to keep its .iso up-to-date, so in a fresh installation it doesn't have to update so much
Oh yeah, it's the same as its parent distro: Arch 🙂
Thanks for the clarification 😉
Excellent article, dispels many of my concerns regarding these distributions; maybe later try your luck with arch.
Greetings and thanks for this information, it is very useful for newbies like me.
Not at all, a pleasure to know that we help you.
Greetings and welcome to our humble site 🙂
I have been a user of Suse, Fedora, Opensuse, Mandrake, Mandriva, Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, Gentoo,…. and ArchLinux, and from experience in distro rolling or whatever you want it to be called, I have not had any dependency problems, in fact I have had more problems updating from one Ubuntu series to another than in ArchLinux, where I am, for example. Unfortunately if Ubuntu did not release versions every 6 months, there would be no news about the new version, and it would not be so "POPULAR", and for the record I am not criticizing it, it is simply a way of promoting itself (pure marketing), I say it because in blogs only read, that if Oneiric is X days away, that if it has already been launched, that if it is in beta, well I think I explain myself, right?
What is true is that they should, in my opinion, space the versions a bit apart, eg one and not two each year (that's my point of view).
regards
Many say that because they are Rolling they are more unstable, but the truth is that MY experience has told me the opposite, I present much less instability with Arch than I had in Ubuntu, or in Debian when Testing was Squeeze.
Yes, it's true, Ubuntu with its short development cycle always attracts a lot of attention, which actually doesn't bother me or like me ... come on, I don't care 🙂
Oh by the way, WELCOME to our site 😀
Thanks for the welcome and greetings
With this I hope that our reader (Jesus) is pleased 🙂
By the way, if someone wants something specific to be discussed, they can tell us through our contact form: https://blog.desdelinux.net/contactenos/
Thanks a lot ! This article helped me a lot.
Thanks to you for approaching and raising your questions. In all that we can, we will always help.
Hi. Let me ask a question. Nice work with the blog.
What DEBIAN Rolling Release distributions are there? I mean those tuned by some team, like Canonical.
PS: and since we are ... and Fedora ?. A Debian 6 Testing would incorporate Gnome 3 already…. Would it be stable at least at the Ubuntu level? I am looking forward to launching Ubuntu because everything they are doing is aimed at Unity, and I do not buy it.
Hi, if I'm wrong, the boys correct me but LMDE is something like a rolling Debian tune, the other thing that may interest you is Debian CUT, here is an article about the one written by the team of this blog https://blog.desdelinux.net/disponible-snapshot-debian-cut-2011-10rc1/
Greetings.
yep… .LMDE is simply Debian Testing with the artwork of the Linux Mint developers… they take a debian Testing they put the mint-updater, the mint-menu, the gtk theme, the wallpaper and voila… .in short they just make it see more pretty, but they don't do anything really important to her. If you take your debian and put the same wallpaper and gtk theme you already have LMDE hehe but with the pride that it is pure Debian xD
stable at the ubuntu level?
Look, Ubuntu would be something like an alpha version compared to Debian's stability, that stability makes Debian one of the most used distros on servers.
do you want to get rid of ubuntu? Excellent, I encourage you, you will not regret it ... I can almost guarantee you that you will not return to her
I imagine you feel very macho for using "pure" debian ... pppffff
Oops ... you're part of the linux mint team ... sorry, I didn't imagine it ... but take it as constructive criticism for you and your teammates ...
It was not my intention to hurt their susceptibilities
All the best
Ah I forgot ... I was not trying to distort your comment, but rather to confirm that it is a tuned version of debian. But giving my opinion that it is only tuned in aesthetics, not in functionality
Again, sorry for the misunderstanding
Hi, I'm not part of the Linux Mint team, I just dislike fan boy comments.
No problem.
greetings.
Wow from what I see Everything here uses Arch, GEnial
I also use Arch, the best in Distros. I have also gone through several distros, U, F, Man, D, OpnS, etc.
In rolling Release, Arch. Ha since it's the only one I've ever used
Circle Release OpenSuse and Fedora are great
YEAH !!!, there are many of us who use Arch ... haha, here many of us have good taste 😉
Welcome to our site, we hope that our content is to your liking 😉
Greetings and once again, welcome 😀
Nope, not all of us use Arch ¬¬
Sure, the exception that proves the rule
hehe, now if you use Arch, although in those days elav used Debian.
Ah, how much time you have to invest to update it, first in the point release / cycling release you have to download the iso from the cd / dvd. then during the installation they ask you to download some megabytes of files.
Then in the RR it is only installed once, therefore the great update at the beginning, is not repeated unless you reinstall, and if you have to reinstall it is because you started experimenting and screwed up something and you can't or there is no way to throw it away. behind. Years can go by without having to reinstall, while the point release / cycling release you have to be downloading the isos every 6, 8 or 12 months and if you upgrade, otherwise it gives you errors (generally it does not matter) you still have to download a lot of updates, which with RRs you download little by little. in other words, that "disadvantage" itself is not and in most RR you can get more recent images of the isos.
Hoygan que buelbe centpre la vurra al wheat with these items.
What a pity that you have made that phrase bet on hoygan ¬¬
A question that occurs to me, I was reading the specifications of sabayon 8 and it says something about extreme-rolling-release, what does that concept mean? thanks in advance but I'm curious, by the way, great page, I love it
The explanation was quite complete, it took me out of all doubt.
Chakra is half rolling check out these links ^ __ ^
(http://chakra-linux.org/wiki/index.php/Chakra_Linux) Y (http://chakra-project.org/bbs/viewtopic.php?id=7091)
I use Jagger edition, a well rolling… rolling stone distro. 🙂
Like many of you, I have been through several distros since my beginnings in Linux, and since I discovered "Chakra Linux", I am delighted with this distro, the stability is impressive, I have not had problems in any of the 3 machines in which the I have installed, 100% effective hardware detection (goodbye to my problems with my Broadcom 43xx), continuous updates, etc ...
In addition, the Bundles system allows you to have any GTK application and CCRs, many of those that are not in the official repositories. Also the new art-work «Dharma» is impressive !!!
Possibly tomorrow, with more experience (and more courage, why not say it) I dare with Arch, but for now I am staying with Chakra.
I use ManjaroLinux, based on arch (that is, I'm just starting to test it) sincerely, I loved it, very fast, easy and above all updatable.
+100 for the item.
Thank you!
hey I wanted to know how it went with the Manjaro. I really want to change linux 12, not for anything special because my first distro ... as you can see, I am a chicken in this Linux business and I am just getting the hang of it.
I have read good things about Manjaro and Linux Mint, so I would like your opinion on stability, compatibility with programs and the like
There is also a Software Center in Ubuntu that has been sooo very useful and I would like to know if there is it in all the distros
thanks for your attention
I find the inconvenience of errors in dependencies when updating new packages is strong, I don't know if they are not tested correctly before releasing them or the quality control is low. I differ in that "it tends to be weird", we found in the Arch and Manjaro forums a lot of posts about it. I jump more with Manjaro that advertises the ease of use, but when you have a dependency problem and you are not a user who is interested in getting into the system thoroughly, the easiest thing is to reinstall.
I find the Ubuntu development model more consistent and stable, and see that if I don't like any distro, it is precisely orange.
I do not see the sense of RR at this time, it is not mature enough or maybe I am the problem.
friend I think the article was hacked:
http://usemoslinux.blogspot.com/2012/06/las-mejores-distribuciones-rolling.html
I take advantage and ask you, for a long time I have been using linux mint 14, but I have a bug that I cannot solve, so I am thinking of moving to a rolling release, my fear is possible problems with my hardware and / or peripherals
I appreciate your comments
Rolling?
There are quite a few, example PCLinuxOS
good post
The explanation is good at first, however, then you confuse with the examples. Please be more clear.
One question: (maybe this will help me understand quickly)
Do you consider that the operating system of the Xiaomi cell phone is Rolling Release?
Thank you.