Should You Use A Rolling Or Point Release Distro
thekernalblog.github.ioWhen your read reviews of Linux distros, a lot of the time you will hear the terms, “Rolling release” and “Point release” a lot. A point release distro has many different versions, while a rolling release distro has one version, that gets continually updated, and you will never have to upgrade to a new release. Having a rolling release distro or a point release distro is one of the most important decisions when it comes to what Linux distro you want to use, so I am going to explain why you should consider using a rolling release or point release distro.
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word “Linux” in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I’ve been enjoying rolling releases for several years but I’ve had a long and cordial relationship with point release distros.
For me it comes down to fresh software and personal taste. I like the ‘flow’ of updates that rolling releases have and prefer dealing with small recurring issues over twice-a-year big upgrades. That being typed, I keep an eye on update news to see what potential problems may arise and I’m comfortable dealing with minor breakages as they occur. I know more about troubleshooting than I did when I was younger, so a bit of instability doesn’t ruin my day. Anyhow, a little bit of research is worth my time if it benefits several machines at once.
I still have a few Debian-based machines that I’m keeping as-is due to how difficult initial install was on those particular machines. I don’t have time to re-learn how to change them over and I don’t want to risk getting stuck partway. While the occasional release upgrades are irritating the scope of the irritation is small. If I were starting over they probably would all be on rolling releases as well, but I don’t mind them.