Re: Which Linux is best on lab top

[Ludovic Brenta <ludovic@ludovic-brenta.org>]

Nick writes:
> I would just like to throw in here that Ubuntu does use the same
> version of GNAT that was in Debian Sid (unstable) before the freeze
> and so it should be the same version version as in Debian.  The
> current GNAT version in Ubuntu is 4.1.2-1ubuntu1 which is only one
> patch different then Debian so it should work the same.  Basically
> the biggest difference for me is if you want the latest Gnome or KDE
> use Ubuntu and if you don't really care you might as well go with
> Debian.

That is true, but pay attention to the release schedules.

We're looking at a release of Debian "Lenny" in October 2008.  That
will be my overriding goal.  In the mean time, I expect GCC 4.2 to be
released and a large-scale transition to take place.  Then, GNAT GPL
2007 will probably cause another transition.  If GCC 4.3 releases
reasonably soon before the compiler freeze in mid-2008, there will be
a third transition, and possibly a fourth transition if GNAT GPL 2008
releases soon enough.

During each transition, Ada in Debian unstable deserves its name:
UNSTABLE, in big neon letters.  In the Lenny time frame, Ubuntu will
probably want to release 7.10, 8.04 and 8.10.  Each time, it runs the
risk of taking a snapshot of Debian unstable at an unfortunate point
in time, and to ship broken Ada packages.

So far, one person has volunteered to monitor the Ada packages in
Ubuntu and see to it that they are not too broken.  This person is
Matthias Klose, the principal maintainer of GCC, Python and other
things in both Debian and Ubuntu.  If you look at the lists of
packages he maintains[1,2], you'll understand he may not be able to
give Ada all the love and care she deserves.  Of course, he keeps in
touch with me to make Ubuntu releases relatively stable, but with so
many transitions on the horizon, he might just not be able to.

[1] http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=Matthias+Klose&comaint=yes
[2] https://launchpad.net/~doko

If you want a stable and supported distribution, use Debian stable.

-- 
Ludovic Brenta.