Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Questions about applications and software
Forum rules
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
fotonix
Level 2
Level 2
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:42 pm

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by fotonix »

After reading all 4 pages of this post - of which 2.5 pages are a dated rabbit trail regarding obsolete versions of Firefox - I am still left with a nagging issue.

A couple of months back I wanted to get my scanner to work with Mint. Its one of those Canons that say Windows X,y, and Z on the box - no Linux support. The app I found (not SimpleScan as I recall) that was in the repository was over 2 years old - AND flagged as unstable, run-away-form-it on the product website. A much newer version, SUPPORTING my scanner, was out since October 2011. To this day, that version is NOT in the LM repository.

BUT, the only way to install the new version from the product website demanded a build from source. As and end user, I don't have the time to hunt down 32 levels of dependencies, bits, doo-dads, libraries, compilers, resource kits, etc, etc, etc. I have a job for the machine to do - scan, and let's move the production line along.

That made me get to the point where for scanning I boot Windows and forget Linux. Pity, but surely I am not alone on the planet wanting to scan in Linux ... and besides, the problem has been solved.
#include <std_disclaimer.h>
mattadlard

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by mattadlard »

It doesn't help with apps life Software Manager which do not seem to list latest versions of software and people have to jump through hoops to install new software.

One is not to bad using the terminal and am old enough to remember the old days of DOS and running commands, but its not easy for everyone and at times can be bloody frustrating trying to encourage someone to switch when they see you having to jump through hoops just to update what should be simple.
OzRattler
Level 1
Level 1
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 3:47 am

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by OzRattler »

Hello All!!

Forgive me as I am in a rather dark mood. Why? My Mint install breaks if I try to install the latest version of an application - say Evolution. Now why would I want to do that? Simply because E. 3.6.4 has that many bugs it is close to useless. I read the bug-fix for the more recent version and they are (for the most part) fixed. So, while I can get the source and compile, as noted by other people posting here, I am neither expert nor time rich to do that! BUT if I installed via Synpatic, broke packages.....and more time searching. (Did find the fix though but only fixed broken packages)

I did stick with Mint 9 LTS but that is now obsolete and not supported so ok, do the right thing and jump. Hello Mint 15. Bzzzzzzzzzz. Unlucky. Not worth the effort.

If Linux is to finally have an impact on the broader community using PC's, the options to more readily jump to the latest version of programmes that have had the bug addressed is a must. I (my opinion obviously) think that feature is a must. Yet it is missing.

If someone can shame me and show me where I am wrong, I will happily wear that shame.......................

Ahh. Feel better now. Until I want to install something or send an email.

...insanity is so confusing...
.....insanity is so confusing.....
Statik
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 106
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:27 pm

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by Statik »

I've been a Linux Mint user now for a couple of years, coming from Ubuntu when Unity started to rear its head. I must say, Linux Mint seems to have the best solution yet. It has given us multiple Desktop Environments to choose from and leaves us with the Ubuntu repositories as a backbone. Plus they add their own benificial repositories. Now, with the advent of PPAs, I can get the latest software versions without having to MAKE the packages myself.

I feel for the poster above with his Canon scanner. I had the same problem with my Canon printer. I originally had to download linux drivers from Asia, fix the installers, add dependancies and then do some commandline configuration to get them to work. Then I found a PPA for Canon printer drivers that got me working in two steps. The latest Mint had the drivers built in so I didn't have to do anything to get the printer and scanner working.

Windows tends to drop older hardware from new versions. Linux brings it in.

Personally, if you want the latest versions of the software, I'd suggest finding a PPA that you trust for that software. You get the updates and everything, nothing broken.

I recently went through this with LibreOffice 4.1. I downloaded and installed 4.1 from the LibreOffice website, but I got a dual install, Mint's 4.0 and the new 4.1. Then I found a PPA for LibreOffice and my Mint 4.0 was updated to 4.1!

If your software is popular, I can almost guarantee you'll find a PPA for it somewhere.

Cheers!

Statik
wreckwriter

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by wreckwriter »

Kinda related, upgraded to 16 today, tried to backup but the backup tool still doesn't work (calculating forever) so I figured I'd install fwbackups. "The compiler can't compile executables", OK, install clang, then get "your Intltool is too old".New Intltool and now I can backup. That's 3 installs on a brand new distro for something that should work out of the box...

Add me to the rolling release wish list.
User avatar
sadhu
Level 5
Level 5
Posts: 856
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:48 am
Location: Sri Lanka
Contact:

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by sadhu »

Fred wrote:... if we could just get people to search and read before asking the same questions over and over. :-)
Yeah, well, the search feature on forums.linuxmint.com leaves something to be desired. When I want to find out something, I usually fall back on Google or DuckDuck, after trying all the combinations of words/phrases/quotation marks I can think of, using the linuxmint forum search engine.

For example, I was searching for articles on "stability" and whether I should downgrade to mint 13 LTS or stick with 15 cinnamon, because of weird errors and gliches I was experiencing. The most meaningful answer pointed me to this topic, which answered all of my questions. It would have been great if I could have found it on my own...

On the other hand, perhaps I don't know how to search properly.

On third hand, I may be a newbie to Linux, but I have two or three years of experience on a Sun SPARC workstation, running the Solaris flavour of Unix--in a corporate environment where the IT department kept things going. Nowadays, search engines are doing for me what the IT guys used to do.

-sadhu
sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā. LM 21.2-64 Cinn 5.8.4
DrM
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:03 pm

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by DrM »

Take for example Gnome Commander. The version of Gnome Commander in the repositories of Linux Mint 16 is version 1.2.8.15 while the latest version of this program is 1.4.x. At https://git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-commander/plain/NEWS you see that there are a lot of improvements since the 1.2.8.15 version had been released. At https://download.gnome.org/sources/gnom ... 4.0.tar.xz you can download the latest version of Gnome Commander, but installing manually is rather tedious. You have to make sure that the needed additional modules and libraries have been installed, otherwise the ./configure command will report errors.

Why are the apps in Mint's repositories not updated to the latest versions and do they lag some versions behind?
DrM
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:03 pm

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by DrM »

fotonix wrote:After reading all 4 pages of this post - of which 2.5 pages are a dated rabbit trail regarding obsolete versions of Firefox - I am still left with a nagging issue.

A couple of months back I wanted to get my scanner to work with Mint. Its one of those Canons that say Windows X,y, and Z on the box - no Linux support. The app I found (not SimpleScan as I recall) that was in the repository was over 2 years old - AND flagged as unstable, run-away-form-it on the product website. A much newer version, SUPPORTING my scanner, was out since October 2011. To this day, that version is NOT in the LM repository.

BUT, the only way to install the new version from the product website demanded a build from source. As and end user, I don't have the time to hunt down 32 levels of dependencies, bits, doo-dads, libraries, compilers, resource kits, etc, etc, etc. I have a job for the machine to do - scan, and let's move the production line along.

That made me get to the point where for scanning I boot Windows and forget Linux. Pity, but surely I am not alone on the planet wanting to scan in Linux ... and besides, the problem has been solved.
If the developing team of Linux Mint knows that the SimpleScan delivered with Linux Mint is unstable and buggy, why won't they use the newest version possible? It seems to me that they neglect using the newest versions of any application in the repositories of Linux Mint!
apupis

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by apupis »

So, my first post here is in this thread and about Firefox. I'm writing from within Linux Mint 13 Maya 64-bit on Firefox 27 and have a green checkmark in my taskbar telling me everything is up to date. My Ubuntu Studio 12.04 and Windows 7 64-bit boxes are both running smoothly on Firefox 29. Curious as to why the difference, I check the Security Advisories for Firefox https://www.mozilla.org/security/known- ... refox.html to see if the updates are just bug fixes or added features (aka the latest possible version). I find that since Firefox 27 there have been 9 critical, 11 high, 10 moderate and 3 low security fixes. Thats 33 security fixes. What am I missing here to better understand the no update thing?
tek_heretik

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by tek_heretik »

apupis wrote:So, my first post here is in this thread and about Firefox. I'm writing from within Linux Mint 13 Maya 64-bit on Firefox 27 and have a green checkmark in my taskbar telling me everything is up to date. My Ubuntu Studio 12.04 and Windows 7 64-bit boxes are both running smoothly on Firefox 29. Curious as to why the difference, I check the Security Advisories for Firefox https://www.mozilla.org/security/known- ... refox.html to see if the updates are just bug fixes or added features (aka the latest possible version). I find that since Firefox 27 there have been 9 critical, 11 high, 10 moderate and 3 low security fixes. Thats 33 security fixes. What am I missing here to better understand the no update thing?
You make a very good point, this is where PPAs come in, it's like adding a special extra repo for specific software updates, I would go in to detail on how to do it but I have to run to work right now.
apupis

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by apupis »

I have to admit that I don't use Linux Mint much and have installed it basically for trying/testing/figuring out purposes. It turns out that the update manager was not auto-refreshing (still set on every 15 minutes yikes) and that upon manually refrehing it there were 111 updates. Firefox 29 was in Level 2 right where it should be. I will search the appropriate threads to solve that problem and leave this one alone. :oops:
User avatar
karlchen
Level 23
Level 23
Posts: 18155
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:21 am
Location: Germany

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by karlchen »

Karlchen wrote:Starting with Pete2919's post the thread topic "Why are my applications not the latest possible version?" was lost and the focus shifted to the question, "Can we please have a Linux Mint bare bones release?"
Therefore this thread has been split and the posts about "Can we please have a Linux Mint bare bones release?" moved to a new thread titled
Can we please have a Linux Mint bare bones release?
Image
The people of Alderaan have been bravely fighting back the clone warriors sent out by the unscrupulous Sith Lord Palpatine for 750 days now.
Lifeline
Pete2919

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by Pete2919 »

Hi Karlchen

I have to disagree, I was right on topic, if the outdated programs were not included in the release this gripe would not have arisen.

A lighter slimmer release could be updated on installation with the very latest software versions, and just as importantly the software of your choice :D
mathew42
Level 1
Level 1
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:06 am

VirtualBox package selection (qiana vs trusty)

Post by mathew42 »

Finally installed LinuxMint 17 this afternoon, then followed the Download Instructions, to create /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualbox.list file:

Code: Select all

# Virtual Box
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian trusty contrib
Then I ran the install and found that 4.3.12 was installed (current version is 4.3.18).

Code: Select all

$ apt-cache policy virtualbox-4.3
virtualbox-4.3:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 4.3.12-93733~Ubuntu~raring
  Version table:
     4.3.18-96516~Ubuntu~raring 0
        500 http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/ trusty/contrib amd64 Packages
     4.3.12-93733~Ubuntu~raring 0
        700 http://extra.linuxmint.com/ qiana/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
A bit more reading and I found that by using the following command the latest version from Oracle was installed

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get -V install virtualbox-4.3/trusty
Is this the preferred approach or is there a better way?
fruitkiller

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by fruitkiller »

To answer OP : LM will distribute applications with their OS that they find to be the most stable/no need to change them at the time.


Now only if I was able to compile Banshee 2.9.1.... I've tried it elsewhere on someone else's computer who was using a much different linux distro (not debian based) and I haven't seen anything as great as Banshee 2.9.1 in my life when it comes to a music player/library, its bpm detection is amazingly accurate compared to what version we are stuck with here.

Trying to compile the 2.9.1 tarball here gives me errors just by doing ./configure so.... I dunno if I'll ever have it, I can't find pre-compiled versions of it in a .deb either, and sometimes, especially in the case of avidemux 2.6.8, it was so terribly difficult to find a working PPA or .deb for it, I'd have to find a lot of precompiled packages of it on pkgs.org or something like that where all needed .debs for avidemux 2.6.8-qt were available. Whether it would work after everything was installed was pretty random...now LM17 I'm able to compile it very easily.
BigEasy
Level 6
Level 6
Posts: 1282
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 9:17 am
Location: Chrząszczyżewoszyce, powiat Łękołody

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by BigEasy »

fruitkiller wrote:To answer OP : LM will distribute applications with their OS that they find to be the most stable/no need to change them at the time.
It doesn't look really so. For example, file manager "krusader" distributed version 1:2.4.0~beta3-2 :roll:
http://community.linuxmint.com/software/view/krusader

However, producer himsels clames that it is unstable version and there is stable 2.0.0
http://www.krusader.org/get-krusader/
Who should we trust? But undoubtedly 1:2.4.0~beta3-2 is a last version
Windows assumes I'm stupid but Linux demands proof of it
aabharan

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by aabharan »

The one you should hope for, is that your device is simply not connected to the internet or turned off. ... However, there's one last resort but more on that later. ... Unfortunately, activating Android Lost is only possible on Android Versions older than 3.0. ... Head over and sign in to the Find my mobile website.
deleted

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by deleted »

If you always want latest, install LMDE, change the repos to track sid and let it roll.
-Hinto
raptir

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by raptir »

One thing I didn't see mentioned here is that Ubuntu will sometimes build security patches into older versions of a package. A current example I'm aware of is Pidgin.

http://changelogs.ubuntu.com/changelogs ... /changelog
https://www.pidgin.im/news/security/

Ubuntu packages Pidgin 2.10.9 (even in Vivid). Per Pidgin's website, 2.10.10 includes important security fixes. If you look at the changelog of the Ubuntu package, these security fixes have been rolled into the Ubuntu package despite it staying at the lower version level.
burjans

Re: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?

Post by burjans »

The last version is http://pidgin.im/ Pidgin 2.10.11, I tried to add PPA

https://launchpad.net/~pidgin-developer ... ubuntu/ppa

and is not working :(
Locked

Return to “Software & Applications”