Re: Debian vs. other distros?

From: Juha Siltala (jsiltala_at_gmx.net)
Date: 01/09/04 

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 23:11:46 GMT

In article <DilLb.8766$1X2.380262@wagner.videotron.net>, Carlos Moreno wrote:

> Hmmm, I do understand the principle. But in practice, doesn't
> often happen that older versions have more bugs and more
> security issues? I mean, that's more or less how the Open

Linux distributions always stick with the versions they have. When
security issues and bugs are discovered, the fixes are patched to the
version in the stable distribution, instead of putting in a new version.
Packages are only upgraded when the whole system is upgraded.

Example: a vulnerability is found in openssh 3.4 in Debian Stable. A fix
is promptly released. When you update your system, your openssh is updated
from, say, 3.4.15 to a patched 3.4.16, not 3.7 even if that were the
current version upstream. 

-- 
Juha Siltala
http://www.edu.helsinki.fi/activity/people/jsiltala/

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