Please explain LMDE update system

[Borsook]

I have a basic question about LMDE update system. From what I understand by default it doesn't get all the debian updates, but gets update packs which come very rarely 1-2 per year. By default, without pointing it to normal Debian repos is this the only source of updates, or are there any other updates in the mean time? E.g. does the UP freeze only the system related part, what about basic apps like Firefox, are they updated in any way between UPs?

[killer de bug]

Hi !

By default you get UP.
These UPs are released not very often. It can be several time a year or not. The last one was in September, the next one should be arround January. It's an upgrade for every thing. From Kernel to Gimp, Latex...

Exceptions: Firefox gets update everytime a new version gets out and every 6 months, you get an update for Cinnamon/Nemo.

[Borsook]

Hi !

By default you get UP.
These UPs are released not very often. It can be several time a year or not. The last one was in September, the next one should be arround January. It's an upgrade for every thing. From Kernel to Gimp, Latex...

Exceptions: Firefox gets update everytime a new version gets out and every 6 months, you get an update for Cinnamon/Nemo.

Thanks! are there any other exceptions? Thunderbird maybe? Is there somewhere history of updates I could review?

[Monsta]

It's been told numerous times that Firefox and Thunderbird are not part of the UPs. The same goes for Cinnamon and Nemo.
They are not in the Debian repositories, they are delivered to you via the separate Mint repo. That's why you sometimes get updates "in the mean time".

You can find the list of these packages at http://packages.linuxmint.com/list.php?release=Debian

[py-thon]

Opera also got updates in between, but by now it is not clear whether Opera for Linux will ever get another version.
MATE also gets updates in between.

The kernel and the "basic apps" etc. will only be updated with the UPs.

Sometimes a single or a few packages are being updated in between, probably to fix some bug or vulnerability. But this happens less than once a month.

[Borsook]

Thank you all very much. From some old blog post by Clem I was under the impression the system will get more or less monthly update packs, with bi-annual or annual updates it appears this is less "rolling" than Ubuntu update model... Of course, I understand that is possible to just use Debian repos, just had a different vision of the default behaviour

[killer de bug]

MATE also gets updates in between.

Don't think so!
MATE 1.6 was released in April or May and was available in LMDE in September... with UP7. But I may be wrong.

[Monsta]

MATE 1.6 was released in April or May and was available in LMDE in September... with UP7.

[url=http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=185&t=143547]A bit earlier[/url]

[palimmo]

Is there a way to have a "more up-to-date" system without leaving the UP scheme?

This is my source list:

Code: Select all

deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import backport romeo
deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/latest testing main contrib non-free
deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/latest/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/latest/multimedia testing main non-free

[killer de bug]

MATE 1.6 was released in April or May and was available in LMDE in September... with UP7.

[url=http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=185&t=143547]A bit earlier[/url]

Oh good point.

Is there a way to have a "more up-to-date" system without leaving the UP scheme?

If you know what you are doing, you can compile all the packages you want to be more up-to-date. Like Cinnamon 2.0. --> http://segfault.linuxmint.com/2013/10/how-to-build-and-install-the-latest-cinnamon-from-git/

But for most of the stuff, you will probably need some packages available in Testing or Sid... So... be careful!