Several outdated development packages in repository

[ghoultek]

How does one request that the out of date development tool packages get updated in the repository?

I only checked CodeBlocks, Geany, Lazarus, KDevelop, GCC. One comment in the CodeBlocks section says that the version in the repo's. has serious issues with Mint v19. I'm a newb looking to get feet in the water, but would prefer to side step trouble/headache stemming from using out dated packages.

[deepakdeshp]

In repository there are tested packages. It's a question of people donating there time on this activity. Hence the packages aren't all tested.

[ghoultek]

Thanks deepakdeshp. I was hoping to avoid doing a manual install.

[deepakdeshp]

There is arch for bleeding edge packages.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... PA&ampcf=1

[ghoultek]

Thanks. Bleeding edge wasn't a requirement. I wanted to avoid issues stemming from older packages malfunctioning in a newer OS/distro. Its possible and likely that Mint 19.x has evolved beyond some of the packages in the repos.

The packages I listed were just examples and only the few that I looked at in the software manager. I wanted to try them out to see what they offer. However, I can understand that folks haven't gotten around to testing/updating them in the repos. I initially figured that maybe a request would be needed to get the packages updated especially since I'm referring to stuff in the official repos.

[Pjotr]

Note that for applications, downstream version numbers (from Ubuntu/Mint) don't necessarily equal upstream version numbers (from the application makers).

It's all open source, so it's quite possible that some upstream security fixes and/or bug fixes were cherry-picked by downstream and applied to the packages in the Ubuntu/Mint repo's. Without changes to the major version numbers of those packages. Happens all the time.

So what may seem outdated (security-wise or stability-wise), might not actually be outdated.

If such repair hasn't happened, it's probably stuff in the Universe repo. That repo isn't controlled by either Canonical (the maker of Ubuntu) nor by the Mint devs, but by the Ubuntu community:
http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/

The Mint devs are only responsible for their own packages:
http://packages.linuxmint.com/

More explanation:
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... 2.html#ID3
(item 3)

[gm10]

That repo isn't controlled by either Canonical (the maker of Ubuntu) nor by the Mint devs, but by the Ubuntu community:

Read Ubuntu community = Debian testing repository really.

That's why:

However, I can understand that folks haven't gotten around to testing/updating them in the repos. I initially figured that maybe a request would be needed to get the packages updated especially since I'm referring to stuff in the official repos.

For codeblocks, for example, you could try asking one of the maintainers listed at https://packages.debian.org/buster/codeblocks or upload an updated version yourself.

But even if they start actually maintaining that package again, you likely won't see the new release in LM19.x's official repositories, ever. It is in the nature of an LTS release that you won't get feature updates, only bug fixes.

I'm a newb looking to get feet in the water, but would prefer to side step trouble/headache stemming from using out dated packages.

Take a look at:
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Not in the official repositories but safe to install. It adds its own repositories and receives regular updates. It's what I use myself.

[Moem]

Thanks. Bleeding edge wasn't a requirement. I wanted to avoid issues stemming from older packages malfunctioning in a newer OS/distro. Its possible and likely that Mint 19.x has evolved beyond some of the packages in the repos.

I don't think that's very likely to give you problems. The packages in the repos can almost always be trusted to work with the distro they're being offered for. That is why they're in the specific repos for that distro.

[Pjotr]

That repo isn't controlled by either Canonical (the maker of Ubuntu) nor by the Mint devs, but by the Ubuntu community:

Read Ubuntu community = Debian testing repository really.

Well, the Masters of the Universe from the Ubuntu community really seem to do quite a lot of stuff on their own as well....
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/Teams

[ghoultek]

Thanks gents that was very enlightening. This was not exactly what I was expecting but is the reality. I decided to explore Synaptic Package Manager and it shows the change log. From the change log Andreas Moog says:

codeblocks (16.01+dfsg-2.1) unstable; urgency=medium

* Non-maintainer upload.
* Apply patch from upstream svn to fix FTBFS with GCC 7.1 (Closes: #853349)

According to stuff in the codeblocks ticket system some bug fixes were placed in the v17.12 release. This just leads me down the path of testing/evaluating the newer version from a direct download from the codeblocks site. This for the most part leaves me swimming on my own in the realm of the unknown. Some of the bugs listed for the Debian codeblocks package, in Debian's bug tracking system, refer to 13.x codeblocks releases.

@gm10:
I don't want to upload a newer version on my own since I don't have familiarity with the application. I find it strange and unsettling by just how much Microsoft is inserting themselves in the open source and Linux space. Why are you using VS Code instead of other non-M$ options?

[gm10]

I don't want to upload a newer version on my own since I don't have familiarity with the application. I find it strange and unsettling by just how much Microsoft is inserting themselves in the open source and Linux space. Why are you using VS Code instead of other non-M$ options?

Microsoft is the biggest open source contributor in the world and I'm not riding on the anti-"M$" bandwaggon, so I pick what i consider the superior tool for my needs. Naturally you've got to make your own choices based on your own priorities.

[ghoultek]

While I am anti-microsoft to a degree I am not a purist. I did want to explore non-microsoft options. I appreciate the link to VS Code as I didn't consider looking at microsoft's offerings.

[Pjotr]

For Microsoft, it's a matter of "if you can't beat them, join them"....

Microsoft has lost the war for the servers, the cloud, the mobile devices, the IoT and recently even for the web browsers (as Edge will be built on Chromium).

The desktop is their last stronghold, but I hereby predict that Windows will get a Linux kernel within 10 years (related prediction: Microsoft will buy Canonical, much as IBM did with Red Hat). Microsoft simply can't keep up with the rapid technological progress of Linux.

[Moem]

Thanks gents that was very enlightening.

You're welcome! By the way, not all of us are gents.

[AndyMH]

There are some packages where it is best to install direct from source not the version in the repos. Lazarus is one, I'm running 1.8.4 not the 1.8.2 in the repos, virtualbox (I'm running V6.0) and handbrake are others.

[ghoultek]

Happy New year guys, gals, and the awesome Moem.
8^)