What are time-based releases?
There are a variety of strategies for deciding when to release a new version of a piece of software, and different projects may employ different techniques. Ubuntu plans in advance to release on a certain date, and the preceding development effort is aimed at producing a high-quality release on this prearranged date. See “The Ubuntu release cycle” as well as the Releases page for a list of Ubuntu releases and their schedules. The Ubuntu release process was heavily influenced by the release process used by the GNOME project. As an analogy, consider a play being produced in a theatre. While things may go wrong during production, even (perhaps especially) on the night, tickets have been sold and there is a very high cost to backing out: “the show must go on”.
Related Questions
- If I’ve been installing and using the JAWS public beta releases, should I remove the public beta before installing the official JAWS 9.0 release?
- If a ship approaching the dock suffers a mechanical malfunction and releases fuel to the environment, what is the contingency plan?
- Why does Ubuntu use time-based releases?
