Software repository question

[Nils Kassube]

dave boland wrote:
> I have noticed that the repositories for my ver. of Ubuntu, 10.04
> LTS, has one level of software, and 11.04 has newer versions of the
> same software.  Why?  Shouldn't older versions of Ubuntu have easy
> access to newer software?  I can understand the issue if a newer
> kernel is required, but if it is only a normal dependency issue,
> then the software manager should handle that -- right?

There is not only a dependency on particular kernels but also on other 
basic libraries. Usually you can install software of an older Ubuntu 
version because new libraries are backwards compatible. However if a new 
feature of a specific library is required for your particular program, 
you can't make it run on the older Ubuntu version.

Furthermore it isn't only a dependency issue but a question of stability 
(stability not in the sense of "not crashing" but in the sense of "not 
continuously changing"). On my main machine I have 10.04 LTS installed 
because I need a stable environment. If applications would be replaced 
just because there is a new version available, I would have to 
thoroughly check each of them to find out if everything works as 
expected. That would be very troublesome in case I'm in a hurry and need 
that very application. Then I don't have the time to find out how things 
work in the new version.

OTOH, you always have the chance to install the latest software by 
upgrading your entire system to the latest Ubuntu version.

> <comment>
> It is time for an app store for all Linux distributions.  The apps
> need to have a rating (like Tucows), description, perhaps multiple
> levels, etc.
> 
> There will be problems with all of the packaging methods, but that
> should be easy to resolve if the will is there.
> </comment>

That seems to be a nice idea. Why don't you start such an app store, it 
is your idea after all. But beware - don't call it "app store" because 
Steve Jobs thinks that name is already owned by Apple.


Nils