Base Linux Mint 13 On Ubuntu 12.04.1

[jaycee]

Hello Linux Mint community!
Earlier today the idea occurred to me that LM13 should be based on U12.04.1. U12.04.1 is a bugfix and security update that should be released about three to four months after the release of U12.04.

I can see several advantages to this:
1. Many of Ubuntu's most critical release bugs will have been fixed, and the release will have been exposed to a wider testing audience (i.e. those that didn't test pre-releases but provided feedback since the official release).
2. Many software packages will have had their last bugfix and security updates from upstream packaged by Ubuntu by this time (leaving Ubuntu to take over maintenance), meaning less updates to download after installation.
3. The Cinnamon and MATE teams will have more time to develop and test the features they want to implement to make Cinnamon and MATE more "feature complete".
4. More time to gather feedback about Cinnamon and MATE, and select appropriately which desktop to make default.
5. It would be a potentially more unified release, with other editions (e.g. KDE and LXDE) perhaps being released at about the same time as the Main edition, as opposed to several months after (if appropriate coordination is performed between maintainers of the different editions).
(6. An advantage for users of LMDE - it would give some extra time for Linux Mint developers to straighten out the recent changes that have occurred in LMDE, with Debian having adopted Gnome 3, and potentially even issue Update Pack 5 before LM13 is released.)

...and a couple of disadvantages:
1. This change in the planned time of release could impact on development plans for other areas of Linux Mint, such as LM14. Also, the developers have lives, and may have made personal plans in the months following the intended release of LM13 in May.
2. We have to wait longer! However, considering that Linux Mint makes a point of releasing "when ready", this would hardly be something new. Also, keep in mind that Ubuntu 12.04 is being supported for five years (i.e. until April 2017), so it's not as if delaying LM13 a few months would impact significantly on its support lifetime.

An alternative would be for Linux Mint to base LM13 on U12.04 and later release LM13.1 about the same time as U12.04.1. There would be the advantage of LM developers receiving more feedback from users before releasing LM13.1. However, there would be the disadvantage in that more time would have to be spent on iso testing, which could also impact the release of Update Packs for LMDE.
So, what do others in the Linux Mint community think? Are there any advantages or disadvantages I haven't considered? Vote on the poll and post comments!

[xenopeek]

Ideas like this are better submitted to the Community website, where other users can vote the idea up or down and the status of the idea will be tracked (considered, approved, implemented, or rejected). http://community.linuxmint.com/idea/welcome

[jaycee]

Ideas like this are better submitted to the Community website, where other users can vote the idea up or down and the status of the idea will be tracked (considered, approved, implemented, or rejected). http://community.linuxmint.com/idea/welcome

Thanks for your suggestion Vincent! I've taken you up on it, and just posted the idea a moment ago. (Of course, other users can still use this thread if desired... )

[xenopeek]

Link to this idea on the Community website: http://community.linuxmint.com/idea/view/2494

[k0d3g3ar]

Aaargh.... I'm being forced by obsolescence to upgrade my Ubuntu 9.10 main rig, and I don't want to do this every year or so. So the LTS of 12.04 is what I (and probably thousands like me) have been waiting for. I've bought about $2k worth of new hardware for this, new laptop, etc. and its sitting patiently on my desk waiting for the availability. But I'm no Unity fan, so I'm holding out for Mint with Cinamon for this.

To wait another few months more is a lifetime in the computer world. Sure its a 5 yr LTS, but I'd implore those releasing to release Mint as close to 12.04's release as possible, and do another update with 12.04 updates. You can't predict 12.04's future, and those waiting for Canonical's LTS (like me) will not wait much longer and may end up just sucking up Unity. I suspect that Canonical will love that.

Or maybe I can install Cinamon directly on Ubuntu 12.04? If so, no waiting for me. I'll go that path. I'd just prefer to support the Mint cause but if I have to wait another 3-4 months, that's not going to happen.

My $0.02 worth.

K

[AlbertP]

Cinnamon is being made 12.04 compatible to allow it to be used as default desktop on Mint 13. This PPA contains Cinnamon for Ubuntu, 12.04 support will probably appear soon: https://launchpad.net/~gwendal-lebihan-dev/+archive/cinnamon-stable

[majsterkoo]

Ubuntu 12.04 - Mint 13 beta (test cinnamon..., debug, add idea of "BFU" user)
Ubuntu 12.04.1 - Mint 13 final

[cwwgateway]

I think that their should be a stable release of LM 13 based on 12.04 because both Cinnamon and MATE are, IMO, ready (Cinnamon more so than MATE), and there will be a lot of hype about LM 13 because it is the first LTS release in the "gnome 3 saga," and Mint 12 was very popular because the interface was sane. Hype is almost always good. Also, Ubuntu 12.04 is going to be stable (I've used the 2nd Beta and 11.04 and 11.10 were basically beta releases leading up to 12.04), so their is no point to wait. LM 12 was very crashy (because of G3), and it was praised as one of the best things in the world because it was better than G3 and Unity. Because Cinnamon is already pretty well developed, whereas last time they had to create and test new extensions, the month between 12.04 and 13 can be used to get out some bugs. When Pinguy OS 11.10 was released, and I quote Pinguy (on a LAS comment):

I am finding it pretty hard to promote Pinguy OS because of all the Mint news. Even though Pinguy OS was released first. I think it might be because I decided to keep it as a beta until Gnome 3.4 comes out, because I am not 100% happy with gnome 3.2 yet. Could be why no one has decided to take a look at it. People maybe waiting for the stable. But until Gnome 3.4 comes out I won't be calling this a Stable release.

Releasing Betas makes people think things are not stable and therefore not use them. Everybody will just install some LM things on Ubuntu and be done. I'd still like a 13.1 release because I'm planning on installing it once LM 9 gets about a month from being obselete.

[midas]

I certainly like to see updated ISO's througout the Mint 13 LTS lifecycle. Let's say an updated ISO each year. If for instance Mint 14 (or 15) won't work smoothly on my system (it happened with Mint 12...), I can happily switch back to the most recent ISO of a LTS-release. That is why when I couldn't boot into Mint 12 I switched temporally back to Ubuntu 10.04.3...but now I am a happy LM 12 KDE user and will wait patiently for the upcoming release during summer

[Sannaj]

Well. Why don't we combine both options by adding another stage in the release cycle of a LTS version

Right now we have a release candidate and the final version.

It might be a good idea to add something like a "initial stable" and a "final stable". The first one will be released after Ubunutu 12.04.0. This one will be considered stable enough for daily use, but to unstable to be suitable for the ordinary LTS Release user. After Ubunutu 12.04.1 there will be the so called "final stable", witch is then considered stable enough for everyone. Users of the "initial stable" don't need to manually update to the "final stable", because the same effect is achived by installing all the Updates via mint updater.

So in conclusion the release cycle remains the same, but there is some point, the developers update the ISOs and say: "Now this release is stable enough for anybody."

[xernos]

I think we can wait a bit longer - Maya based on Ubuntu 12.04.1 i think will be shipped with Gimp 2.8 and other new software that will be tested on mass. I only need stable, light and reliable system - so few months deadly is not that high price for me.

Sorry for my english.

[Doruletz]

It's a known fact already that Unity sucks, that is why most knowledgeable users have steered away from Ubuntu altogether and are looking into more user friendly and highly customizable distros.
Why, oh why after they perfected Gnome2 they ever decided to go to Gnome3 and Unity?
My gut feeling is that the money hungry Microsoft and Apple are behind this plot. Linux Mint and even Ubuntu with Gnome2 where much solid, better looking and safer than the crap they sell to people.
Ever since Gnome3 and Unity I'm still using LM9, 10 and 11 and even considered going back to Window$.
Ubuntu 12.04 is somewhat better, allowing kickback to classic, customizable panels, Cairo Dock, etc, but does not work as smooth as say LM10 or 11.

If Linux Mint finds a way to make everything in LM13 look and act like Gnome2 I will stay with it, otherwise I'm looking into other options.

[MALLOW]

hi linux mint staff
my openion second choice ( LM13 on U12.04 and LM13.1 on U12.04.1)

beacuse if you buld LM13 on U12.04 you will know the proplems
and on next vertion LM13.1 on U12.04.1 you will solved
its good way to make staple vertion and correct errors
also milions people waiting lm13 vertion soonly