LibreOffice updates: LMDE policy?

[roger64]

Hi

LibreOffice set up recently a compelling update calendar (a minor one every month, a bigger one every six months).
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleasePlan

I installed directly on my LMDE the 3.4.0 version about two months ago. However, if I wish to enjoy the benefit of a new update, I must download it fully.

This is a self-defeating purpose. I think LibreOffice should set up delta-replacing only updates. Without this, I only update when I cannot bear anymore some pesky bug. If not, I just hang on with my 3.4.0 version and shunned the 3.4.1 and 3.4.2 minor updates just for this reason..

I know that delta updates are available for exemple for Fedora Users. So, I am considering following LMDE. What's LMDE policy on LibreOffice updates? Which version of LibreOffice is it following? 3.3 or 3.4?

[xenopeek]

LMDE is tracking Debian testing. And LMDE is now offering update packs, where you get updates from Debian testing bundled once per month--after having been tested by the Linux Mint team for a month. http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1781

Debian testing currently has LibreOffice 3.3.3-4. http://packages.debian.org/testing/libreoffice BTW, that is also the version available in Debian unstable.

[roger64]

Thanks for your reply.

So, this seems to be the same policy as Ubuntu. I would have expected a closer following from a rolling release distro. Now that we know that the updates will be released regularly on a monthly basis, it would seem appropriate to stick more closely to this new LibreOffice calendar instead of keeping a six-month delay.

What will be interesting to know is when LMDE will jump on the 3.4 band wagon. Probably at that time, LMDE will update directly to 3.4.5? This should be also the latest update of the 3.4 cycle.

Windows or Mac users seem to be more fortunate than Linux ones. They can enjoy a really up to date LibreOffice with spot on updates. Would it not be better to ask LibreOffice to implement a delta update to its Linux binaries like for Windows or Mac users?

debdelta has for now been working for a long time for Debian.

[xenopeek]

LMDE is tracking Debian testing, so for your question on when does LMDE move to LibreOffice version x.y, answer is: when Debian testing does

[roger64]

OK.

I agree it's a Debian question.

[aes2011]

I'm not sure but is it OP's feeling that differential updates for LibreOffice are available on some operating systems?

I'm not aware that LibO has differential updates. I think that no matter how small the "improvement", the entire office suite has to be downloaded for any OS.

It's a situation that many LibO users are hoping will change.

[gavinhc]

The version of LibreOffice in the experimental repository is 3.4.1, so version 3.4 will filter down to testing eventually, unfortunately it is impossible to know how long it will take.

Although it's not the same thing as getting a delta package directly from the Document Foundation, you can install the debdelta package and that will download and delta .deb files when you update from the command line, saving you some bandwidth.

[roger64]

The version of LibreOffice in the experimental repository is 3.4.1, so version 3.4 will filter down to testing eventually, unfortunately it is impossible to know how long it will take.

Although it's not the same thing as getting a delta package directly from the Document Foundation, you can install the debdelta package and that will download and delta .deb files when you update from the command line, saving you some bandwidth.

I have been using debs coming from OpenOffice and now from LibreOffice for some years and I was always satisfied by their quality.

That's why I think the best solution, if possible, would be to use debdelta to update debs coming directly from LibreOffice. They release their debs, when they consider them ready after QA. They do not intend to disgust their "customers". If my experience from Ubuntu teached me something, it's that the more people tweak this original stuff, the worse it becomes. You get delays and errors and no advantage.

Someday somebody will find a solution to this long lasting problem.

[DrHu]

That's why I think the best solution, if possible, would be to use debdelta to update debs coming directly from LibreOffice.

I think for Linux that doesn't necessarily have paid developers that will answer to anyone: updating directly from a developers workflow might not be the best idea, and it also may disrupt the distributor's system..

• Why distributor's of Linux desktop- OS's' don't like that idea, even if it is sometime necessary, such as getting a binary file from ATI or Nvidia as an example or Firefox updating from within that application

But like all methods used or suggested, it works as well as it can
--someone may actually come up with a really better idea, but then again maybe not

• We'll just have to wait and see if it should ever happen
  --there can only be so many logical methods of updating a system

If my experience from Ubuntu teached me something, it's that the more people tweak this original stuff, the worse it becomes

I think that is definitely true for some Linux distributors and we soon find out who they are; however I think Mint is reasonably clean in that regard, despite some of their versions being dependent on Ubuntu..