Fedora Core 3 Test 1 really shouldn't be out for a few months

[rkl]

Fedora Core 1 to Fedora Core 2 was a massive change - major kernel jump, new versions of GNOME and KDE and many, many package releases updated. Whilst it's generally stable, there's still some "fallout" from that and FC2 packages are still being merrily patched at a fast rate (we're now on the third kernel update in the space of a few weeks for example).

What I'm not happy about is that I feel FC2 isn't quite "stabilised" yet - there's things that need fixing with patches and it's only been out for less than 2 months and we're already about to step on the FC3 treadmill!

Why go to FC3 then? It's not like they can put a major jump in the kernel version (2.6.7 vs. FC2-patched 2.6.6) or KDE or GNOME - what's the justification in starting the FC3 test schedule so soon? It seems to me that it's just creating a new release for the sake of it if you ask me - it's not that it needs to sell new versions or anything...FC is free you know

[ghenry]

Cutting edge and FC3 will fix FC2 issues.

[rkl]

Originally Posted by ghenry

Cutting edge and FC3 will fix FC2 issues.

Er, won't patches to FC2 fix FC2 issues or did I miss something here? Thinking about it even more deeply, I've actually come up with the only 2 reasons to "rush" to FC3:

1. Problems with the actual installation - this is the only thing, of course, that actually can't be fixed by downloadable patches. We had the XP vs. FC2 dual boot issue, some older PS/2 mice not working (forcing you into text mode install and no working pointer in X - happened to me in FC2 and I had to buy a new mouse!) and the Asus motherboard issue too, all of which could be fixed out of the box by FC3.

2. Because of 1., FC2 won't be a good enough basis for RHEL4, so Red Hat are keen to get a kernel 2.6 distro out that won't barf for anyone during the actual installation. That, in theory, is where FC3 comes in and Red Hat are therefore going to base RHEL4 on FC3. The "rush" is because the new schedule says FC3 won't be out until October at the earliest (I bet it slips to November or December), so we're probably talking at least November before even an RHEL4 beta comes out. Explains why Red Hat are keen to move onto FC3 so quickly - any more delays and they won't release anything new Enterprise-wise this year (remember, they're in a "version inflation battle" with Enterprise SuSE, lest you forget).

[foolish]

This is Fedora, we're bleeding edge. Rapid releases is part of the basics of the Fedora project. If you don't like it, I'm sorry, but I can't see it changing.

Fedora will have 2-4 Core releases per year. This is how it works, and to be honest, I like it. Core 3 will do just what you say, it will stabilise Fedora. There will not be a major kernel jump, in fact, the update that happened just weeks ago within the Core 2 period, was as major if not more, as the update we'll have in Core 3.

You do have a point. Gnome 2.6 will be really immature when Core 3 is released, I doubt they will even get it done by then. Kde 3.3 will be a bit better I think, but not much.

But think about it for a minute. Who are the fedora users, or the majority of them anyway? They are people who like to have the latest and the greatest. I assure you, if we wait untill november or december with releasing Core 3 most of the Fedora users will at least consider to manually upgrade to either gnome 2.8 or kde 3.3, a lot of people will fail at this and make a complete mess. If you remember Core 1 and the 2.6 kernel you know what I'm talking about.

I think most Fedora users like to be bleeding edge, I sure do. The rapid releases only help the users getting fairly well tested software installed cleanly, while still having the latest and greatest.

Besides, who say you have to upgrade as soon as there's a new Core available. If I wasn't such an idiot I wouldn't put any fresh core on my system before the first updates hits updates-released. If you want you can use Core 2, or even Core 1. Updates are still available, if not from the Core team, from Fedora-legacy.

What I'm trying to say is simply: So? This is how it works, and when I think about it, this is how I want it to be. Go (Core) Team!

[imdeemvp]

I think FC2 is much better than FC1 the only downside to FC2 is not being able to create a floppy boot disk. I started using linux since RH8 and from back then to now it has been a HUGH advanced to the linux community. Distrowatch.com has FC2 ranking #2 and I just hope by the time FC3 is realased it will be able to compete for the #1 spot which for the moment belongs to mandrake and that can not be disputed for the moment.

This forum has given Fedora Core a lot of life....i just think the real core in fedora is this community and the developers and the very smart people from www.fedoranews.org which provides a lot of tuturials that are very useful to me and others.

When it comes to Gnome and KDE i really dont pay much attention it as long as both work to a very stable point. We have to be thankful to those developers too they provides us with something windoz BS does not ....a CHOICE of desktop! I will looking foward to the release of FC3 as I did when FC2 was released.

[rkl]

FC3 is clearly not going to be much different from a patched FC2 - the main reason to install FC3 is if anaconda fell over during the FC2 install really (for the reasons I mentioned in an earlier posting).

Hence, I think a significant number of people won't actually jump from FC2 to FC3 because nothing major will be upgraded - it's likely I'll stick it on a test partition myself, but not overwrite FC2 until FC4 comes out.

As for people trying to hand-install newer GNOME/KDE versions simply because FC3's schedule got pushed back a month or two, I think only a small percentage of FC2 users would do this. More likely, they'd have an FC3T1/T2/T3 release installed and use that to perform any bleeding edge experiments on.

IMHO, the next release of FC should be started because:
1) Installation issues that proved serious showstoppers need fixing
or
2) Major version jumps of important packages might be difficult to release as patches for the current FC version
or
3) Critical (non-installation) problems have been fixed with all significant current FC packages (via patches), so the next FC release would effectively be the current one plus patches (saving a lot of downloads)

For FC3, option 1) had enough problems in FC2 that the release is probably justified, but if you could install FC2 and download patches, I really see no point in going to FC3 really.

[Jman]

A major motivator for many people to upgrade to FC2 was kernel 2.6 and Gnome 2.6. There will not be such major version change as far as I can tell, so who knows how many will upgrade.

I personally wait for the final release, but I will upgrade eventually as I too like the latest and greatest.

[sailor]

I will wait for the final as well...my FC2 is working pretty near flawlessly....and further more I am still learning how to use/confgure/etc...

[dnar]

foolish - well said!

Bring on updates, core releases and what ever else you can throw at us! I preffer cutting edge over the previous RH release schedule! If I wanted 24x7x100% stability (commercial server etc) i'd use Enterprise Server or similar not FC! At home, semi-pro use FC is fine.