When your read reviews of Linux distros, a lot of the time you will hear the terms, “Rolling release” and “Point release” a lot. A point release distro has many different versions, while a rolling release distro has one version, that gets continually updated, and you will never have to upgrade to a new release. Having a rolling release distro or a point release distro is one of the most important decisions when it comes to what Linux distro you want to use, so I am going to explain why you should consider using a rolling release or point release distro.
I’ve been enjoying rolling releases for several years but I’ve had a long and cordial relationship with point release distros.
For me it comes down to fresh software and personal taste. I like the ‘flow’ of updates that rolling releases have and prefer dealing with small recurring issues over twice-a-year big upgrades. That being typed, I keep an eye on update news to see what potential problems may arise and I’m comfortable dealing with minor breakages as they occur. I know more about troubleshooting than I did when I was younger, so a bit of instability doesn’t ruin my day. Anyhow, a little bit of research is worth my time if it benefits several machines at once.
I still have a few Debian-based machines that I’m keeping as-is due to how difficult initial install was on those particular machines. I don’t have time to re-learn how to change them over and I don’t want to risk getting stuck partway. While the occasional release upgrades are irritating the scope of the irritation is small. If I were starting over they probably would all be on rolling releases as well, but I don’t mind them.
I’ve been enjoying rolling releases for several years but I’ve had a long and cordial relationship with point release distros.
For me it comes down to fresh software and personal taste. I like the ‘flow’ of updates that rolling releases have and prefer dealing with small recurring issues over twice-a-year big upgrades. That being typed, I keep an eye on update news to see what potential problems may arise and I’m comfortable dealing with minor breakages as they occur. I know more about troubleshooting than I did when I was younger, so a bit of instability doesn’t ruin my day. Anyhow, a little bit of research is worth my time if it benefits several machines at once.
I still have a few Debian-based machines that I’m keeping as-is due to how difficult initial install was on those particular machines. I don’t have time to re-learn how to change them over and I don’t want to risk getting stuck partway. While the occasional release upgrades are irritating the scope of the irritation is small. If I were starting over they probably would all be on rolling releases as well, but I don’t mind them.