What do you mean with "rolling release"?

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1

Hello,

Can you define better what do you mean with “rolling release”?
Before yesterday with the hangout, I was totally ignoring this side of Nethserver.

I know the concept with Archlinux and Gentoo,
but I’m affraid of this on a server… It’s mean that a new version of a package (ie shorewall ), the package come in the repository as soon as possible?

At the same time, there’s the version number 6.5, 6.6, 6.7 and the future 7.1.
So I`m a little confuse…

2

A NethServer system is constituted by RPMs that come mainly from CentOS mirrors and NethServer mirrors.

  • CentOS releases errata and bugfixes recompiling RHEL packages, as reported by the centos-announce mailing list.
  • NethServer does the same, announcing new releases of its specific RPMs on http://dev.nethserver.org

All those packages updates improve the original system release by pushing it forward, like rolling continuously.

When CentOS produces a new minor version like 6.7 they publish a new “minimal” ISO image. The NethServer developers add a small RPM set on that image together with a kickstart file. The resulting image is the NethServer ISO, with installer, server-manager and other stuff.

When NethServer 6.7 is released, any existing 6.6 installation can be upgraded seamlessly, because both CentOS and NethServer ensure compatibility between minor releases.

NethServer mirrors host also some RPMs from other sources, like EPEL, RepoForge… Those packages are updated only after successful tests as tracked on dev.nethserver.org.

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3

Thank you for the explaination.

Let see if I well understand:
-When Nethserver go to 6.7 from 6.6. It’s a software package update from the mainstream CentOs and all necessary adjustements.
-The “rolling” stuff is only for littles adjustments in the webgui and configuration files, ( ie PPPoE module and languages packages) nothing about software package ( except logicaly for any critic update).

or I missed something?

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4

you’re right

you’d read something about RH’s philosphy… :smile:

during all the lifetime of a release (say 6.X) there won’t be any release (major) change in all daemons/sw coming from mainstream…
I mena… if you install centos 6.0, you’ll find mysql 5.X.Y… it won’t never be changed to 6.W.Z or 5.T.K.

more info here:
https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata