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I want use Ubuntu with the latest stable software instead of latest stable packages. As far as I'm aware the Debian equivalent is the Debian Unstable version.

  • Is the daily live images released by Ubuntu equivalent?
  • Does it continue updating with the latest stable software after a new stable Ubuntu version is released? As in, with the daily live installation of Trusty, does it continue updating with development software after Trusty goes golden?

I'm not sure, but I think I read on Mark Shuttleworth's blog that the development version of Ubuntu is stable enough to use on desktops. I'm neither trusting nor doubting the statement, but that post seemed to imply of continuous development releases like a rolling release.

Please enlighten me.

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  • I believe the live images would indeed be equivalent to unstable. Also, I wouldn't say that the development version of Ubuntu (as in Trusty or the U-Series when Trusty is released) is stable enough to use on a needed desktop. Apr 1, 2014 at 18:27
  • @saiarcot895 It's stability is not my primary concern. I just regular sstable software updates. Do you know if it'll continue updating after Trusty is released? And will the current beta 2 release behave the same?
    – Oxwivi
    Apr 1, 2014 at 18:38
  • If it's just software updates, I would instead use PPAs or install software outside of the repos. The development version will also involve updates to more critical components of Ubuntu/Linux itself, which may or may not bring problems (inability to use Ubuntu). Also, there is no guarantee that the software updates will work correctly, as there may be bugs. Also, I don't see how stability of the system as a whole is not a concern when you need stable software updates; if you can't use the system, what's the point of having the latest LibreOffice? Apr 1, 2014 at 18:43
  • Upgrading to Trusty now won't automatically move you over to U-series. Using the daily images and upgrading for each image might, I think, keep you on the latest development version. Apr 1, 2014 at 18:45
  • @saiarcot895 You see, system updates (kernel, drivers, etc) is precisely the sort of updates I'm looking for, and I'm unlikely to find everything in PPA (yes, I'm aware of Ubuntu Mainline PPA and Oibaf PPA). This is for testing purposes, so I'm not about to upgrade from an existing installation. So if installing a daily image keeps me up-to-date beyond T-series, I'm ready to do a fresh install immediately.
    – Oxwivi
    Apr 1, 2014 at 18:48

2 Answers 2

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For developement releases, the vast majority of Ubuntu packages are imported from Debian Unstable/Testing:

Prior to DebianImportFreeze, new versions of packages will be automatically imported from Debian where they have not been customized for Ubuntu, that is when the version number of the package in the current Ubuntu development branch does not contain the substring "ubuntu" and there is a newer version in Debian. Imports from Debian are either from the unstable or testing branch, depending on the release (see "Derives from:" field on http://launchpad.net/ubuntu/ for more information).

For LTS releases, not only there are SRU for important bug fixes but point releases are also a way to get new hardware support, new drivers:

On a regular basis, the LTS release gets a point update which includes access to a new, current kernel (supporting new hardware without regressing the old hardware on the previous kernel, which remains supported), new OpenStack (via the Cloud Archive), and various other elements.

Sources:

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To answer your question directly: there is no equivalent to unstable ( where developers upload new packages all the time and you get them right away, never having to dist-upgrade ) in Ubuntu. The closest thing is the current development release, which behaves as unstable does, until it becomes a stable release, at which point, you have to dist-upgrade to the new development release if you don't want to remain stable.

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  • So, no automatic transition to new development release? :(
    – Oxwivi
    Apr 2, 2014 at 5:29
  • @Oxwivi, right.. of course it isn't that hard to manually transition once the new development release opens.
    – psusi
    Apr 2, 2014 at 14:35
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    I think you use /devel/ instead of the animal name in your sources.list you just keep upgrading. Apr 7, 2014 at 17:30
  • @JorgeCastro Is there any ISO preconfigured to do that? I know how to edit sources.list, but just asking. Feel free to post an answer.
    – Oxwivi
    Apr 19, 2014 at 20:28

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