The long-awaited next version of the Debian open-source operating system is most likely to be released in February, according to members of the Debian community.
In a Debian Administration web poll, nearly half of those predicting a release date for the Linux distribution said it would happen during February. Twenty-eight percent of its community said the next release, which is the fourth version and code-named Etch, would occur in March, while 15 percent said it would be April or later. The remaining 14 percent believe release will take place in January, although some may have changed their minds since the poll was launched on 5 January.
But a sizable chunk of those voting refused to suggest a date of release, saying there shouldn't be pressure to release Etch until it is ready.
Debianex is one Debian user who believes in caution over the release date. Posting a message on the Debian Administration site, Debianex wrote: "I would like to see a release when everything is working properly. Trying to keep to a fixed date is a common reason for a faulty release."
Another user, SJD, wrote: "Debian is the distro that a lot of business [uses] and [its] development is dependent on the stability factor. If someone wants bleeding edge, release-often systems, then perhaps they should look elsewhere."
But others urged Debian's Release Managers to finalise the software soon. "I use it on a daily basis and it works fine," wrote Monzo. "Only the release-critical bugs have to be squashed. I voted February because I believe in a little pressure to perform."
One of the major new features of Etch will be official support for the 64-bit x86 architecture, which is becoming increasingly used in servers. In addition, most of the software bundled with the operating system will be updated to reflect ongoing development within the wider open-source software community.
Debian is one of the most widely used Linux distributions. It also forms the basis for other popular distributions, such as Ubuntu.
Debian was originally due for release in December. But it has suffered continuing delays, partly because of a slowdown by key developers. Many developers are upset that Debian's two release managers are being paid to work full-time to finalise Etch.
Debian has a long history of being late, ever since its first version in 1997.
ZDNet Australia's Renai LeMay contributed to this report.
Talkback
"I would like to see a release when everything is working properly. Trying to keep to a fixed date is a common reason for a faulty release. -- Debian have hid behind this lie forever. How does every other distro manage to set and hit release dates? We'll release when its ready is not an answer to the question "when will it release?"
"Debian is the distro that a lot of business [uses] and [its] development is dependent on the stability factor. If someone wants bleeding edge, release-often systems, then perhaps they should look elsewhere." -- I call BS. Noone is talking bleading edge. We are talking current. No business will use ANY OS that doesnt commit to a release date. Corperations will not make IT based on a bunch of 'when its ready' statements.
------Hilarious skit---------------
Manager: "We need to upgrade our infrastructure. When is the new debian releasing?"
IT GUY: "They said 'when its ready'"
Manager: "Okay, we will hold off on the million dollar overhaul until then"
------Hilarious skit---------------
IF debian truly wants to be a big time player in the corperate server room than they need to SET RELEASE DATES AND HIT THEM. Short of that, debian will be an 'also-ran' in the distro race.
And, if debian stable is so great how come everyone that uses debian runs testing? Whats that? Stable is old, and outdated. Its getting hard to find hardware that it can install and run on. Oh, I see.
debian, dont talk unless you have a release date or an actual release announcment.
For my part I am sick to death of software companies releasing new versions *before* they are ready. I want to have confidence that when the company release the software, they have done their level best to ensure that it has no outstanding showstoppers.
If I am planning a big roll out, I want to do so with software that works. If it doesn't, I will either have to roll back (which might not even be possible) or re-release when the fixes come through, but either way it will cost a fortune. I would normally be testing the new load before rolling it out. I would be doing so with, of course, the new version. If it doesn't release, I can't start testing. If it does release and it isn't ready, I would hope to find the problems and so fail the testing. I would be happier to have the company step up and say, that it isn't ready and therefore postpone the tests, I might not find the problems until after rollout.
Just because a circle of marketeers wave a magic press release over the product, doesn't magically fix problems. If it isn't ready, it isn't ready.
If it takes longer than planned to get things squared up, just be happy that they have the guts to say so. Just because it has become normal to test supposedly production versions of a product on the customers doesn't make it good practice.
Two valid opinions 1000113162 and Andrew. Our lovely numerically-named reader is darn right in that Debian keeps being late, and you can see that's frustrating some of the community. Project deadlines are there for a reason. Debian has even starting *paying* its release managers to deliver the new version of the distribution as soon as practical. That's not been universally popular and they've apparently not had much luck.
But still a part of me urges caution and wants Etch to be fully up to scratch when it finally appears. No-one wants critical bugs.