Developers On Linux Mint Standard x LMDE

[icmp_request]

Hello guys!

No, it's NOT another topic about "which is better? Ubuntu-based or Debian-based Mint"?

But I would like to know if you have any data/statistics about how many Developers are committed to the Linux Mint Standard and how many to LMDE?

In general, is LMDE less supported by the developers? (patches, bugfixes, etc.)


Thanks!

[xenopeek]

Both are important to Linux Mint and get due attention from the developers. Linux Mint developed software like Cinnamon, MDM, Software Manager, Update Manager, and so on, is developed for Linux Mint and both editions benefit from that development. Most programs available in the repositories are maintained by the Ubuntu or the Debian developers, and Linux Mint uses these programs as provided by them. With Debian having over a thousand developers, I'd not call that less supported than Ubuntu

While the main edition of Linux Mint is more popular than LMDE, meaning that the main edition does get some more attention like having more choice when picking an ISO to download, LMDE is important to the Linux Mint team to do right. It has an active userbase, with lots of energetic and knowledgeable folks helping out (some of the regulars you may have encountered already, like zerozero, GeneC, BostongPeng, and Schoelje, to name but a few). UP5 was recently released for LMDE, and UP6 is up and coming later this year and will also see a refresh of the LMDE ISOs.

Though there is no official KDE edition for LMDE, there is an unofficial edition of KDE for LMDE. See Schoelje's work on that here: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=113571. He's collaborating with the Linux Mint developers and has a while back joined the development team to work on the new Device Driver Manager for Linux Mint (benefiting both editions again).

[cwwgateway]

I think there is more focus around the Ubuntu-based Mint, but, like Vincent said, most software developed for one benefits the other just as much. I think there are many LMDE forum users, and there number is growing, but Ubuntu is easier to use and more popular to use for new users. Since Mint's target audience is generally new users, the Ubuntu based version is more popular now and probably will continue to be, at least until LMDE becomes as easy to use as the main edition.

[icmp_request]

I see, thanks for the replies!

I was asking because as an ex Debian-Testing user, I can say it's really buggy and messy. So some of the packages from Debian-Testing would really require patches, bugfixes, etc. from LMDE Developers. And if there are too few Developers working on LMDE compared to Ubuntu-based Mint... Well, you know where it goes.

[cwwgateway]

That's interesting. I personally find Debian testing and even Debian Sid fairly breakage free.

[squeezy]

Same here, I can't say I've found Debian in any of its branches to be all that buggy. Personally, I like both distros but one thing that bugs me about the Ubuntu base is the way they mess around with packages, sometimes removing features to make them "safer" for inexperienced users, and hiding many behind the scenes aspects of operation that Debian leaves available for easy tweaking.

I think Debian is a little snappier in performance, too.

[xenopeek]

So some of the packages from Debian-Testing would really require patches, bugfixes, etc. from LMDE Developers. And if there are too few Developers working on LMDE compared to Ubuntu-based Mint... Well, you know where it goes.

Generally the Linux Mint developers don't do bugfixing for upstream packages; they tend to stick to upstream packages, but divert to a different version of the package if it is found upstream is pushing a buggy version.

LMDE instead has its own repositories ("incoming" and "latest") where a snapshot of Debian testing is taken for every UP. Then the users from our community that are using the incoming repository test it, generally for 4 weeks or so, and any breakage or instability is reported to and investigated by the Linux Mint developers (who are of course also testing the incoming repository actively). Any package updates that are found to cause breakage or instability are rolled back to an earlier version in the incoming repository. After the UP is declared ready, it is moved to the latest repository also--which is the default on LMDE and used by general users. The users running the incoming repository are an awesome bunch, as the Linux Mint developers couldn't possibly test the wide variety of programs that users have installed. The community is key to each successful UP

Some more details in zerozero's LMDE FAQ: viewtopic.php?f=197&t=91405

[icmp_request]

I see thanks that FAQ was very useful...

For you guys that don't think Debian Testing buggy just try installing XFCE and opening Thunar... See if it doesn't hang for decades before opening with an error message. Workaround? Sure there is, editing some config files and stuff but come on something this serious shouldn't even be on "testing" but on more unstable branches.

Also, try installing gedit, opening with xfce and see if it removes properly the ~locks on files. You will end up with many ~files even properly closing gedit.

There are many other bugs but these 2 just give the idea...

Anyway, if I get it right, while LMDE don't having as much developers attention as the Ubuntu-based Mint, it seems to have a large community support. That's good.

Thanks for the answers. Best regards.

[cwwgateway]

I run thunar on Debian Testing and Sid all the time without problems , but I don't use gedit so I can't verify that (I try not to use GTK 3 apps too much).

[maxibuntu]

Any package updates that are found to cause breakage or instability are rolled back to an earlier version in the incoming repository.

Not always the case, is it? I've reported bugs for mcedit and nvidia in incoming during UP5 testing but the packages were never rolled back.

[cwwgateway]

Any package updates that are found to cause breakage or instability are rolled back to an earlier version in the incoming repository.

Not always the case, is it? I've reported bugs for mcedit and nvidia in incoming during UP5 testing but the packages were never rolled back.

I think that the bugs have to be proven and affecting a lot of people, not individually. However, its possible that's the case (I didn't follow the UP5 thread), so maybe it wasn't feasible. They usually try to maintain stability, but there are often things that they don't catch.