Why can't software in Linux be both new and stable?

Question

Hi!

In Windows I just go and download the latest software I need and it usually works.
But not in Linux. In Linux you have to choose between old and stable or new and unstable. And if I choose a distro that is old and stable(like Debian), then the only way to get "new" software is to compile from source because the packages for the software are ancient. Yeah, you may not call 1-2 years ancient, but some software actually updates very often and who wants to use old software?

I like to have the absolutely latest software, but not if it is unstable.

Answer 1

The term "stable" means that the software has been thoroughly tested. It does not mean "old".



The term "new" is a bit misleading. It means that new features have been added and tested somewhat, and that the new code seems to be okay as determined by the author(s) or maintainer(s). But a rigorous testing procedure is still pending.



You want "stable".



(By the way, Windows, even Microsoft's Windows have the exact same issue. --- It is all about testing.)

Answer 2

Linux software are developed by the community. This means that pre-release versions are made available for the community to test and try out (these are called unstable...they are not finished yet and still being changed).



This way the developers get information that will allow them to make it better and more stable. At some point the developers will declare the software stable (no more changes), and start working the next version...which will be called unstable until ready to be released.

Answer 3

All software has bugs, and it takes time and effort to discover and fix them. Not being commercial most Open Source software relies on the community to find and report bugs. For packages that update a lot in Debian-based distos you can add a custom repository wich will keep that package up to date.



Alternatively try a rolling release like Arch or Gentoo which will update major packages withing a few weeks of a particular version being labeled as stable. I think debian Sid is also a rolling release, and doesn't break that much.

Answer 4

Because Linux sucks