Thoughts on Updates
With regards to updates, I propose that there are only two universal absolutes:
- From time to time, it is necessary to release updates to Fedora releases to fix bugs and resolve security issues.
- These updates should not break the existing functionality of the package, or any other packages in that Fedora release.
Beyond those two points, there is not universal agreement, however, I propose that the majority of Fedora users fall into one of the following categories:
The Stable User
This user installs a point release of Fedora and expects only bugfixes and security fixes. They are not expecting added functionality or behavior changes to be delivered as part of an update. They expect updates to be delivered to them as needed to meet their expectations, but kept to a reasonable minimum in quantity.
The Latest & Greatest User
This user installs a point release of Fedora and expects the latest available "stable" versions of software from the upstreams. This user is willing and able to make a conscious decision to install these updates, with the understanding that it means a lot more updates are installed.
The Bleeding Edge User
This user wants to ride the wave of development in Fedora, and get the absolute latest available packages. They're willing to put up with temporary problems, and are usually involved in Fedora development in some way (even if it is only to report bugs). They're running "Rawhide".