On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 08:19:59PM +0100, Dieter Plaetinck wrote:
I don't care whether some news reporter uses the word release or snapshot, as long as our _users_ know how we work. Imho we should just make it clear in several places (eg download page, beginners guide etc), so we can keep using the word "release". (are really that many users confused now? I have no insight on that)
Sure we have a rolling release model, but still our isos/img's are definitely not "just" a snapshot: - they are planned - we work "towards" them and provide support afterwards - we do a core freeze a while before, and during the release. - they are carefully tested. - we time releases of other packages/tools to "fit" in the iso release scheme (eg installer) - ...
Imho the word "snapshot" doesn't do much justice to our images and makes it sound like just that, a snapshot. Most likely if we start using the word "snapshot" people new to Arch might be more hesitant to try it out because it doesn't sound like something well tested/engineered/supported. Which may be a bigger problem then what we have now. Think about it.
I don't really see anything bad about that. Does it mean that novice users will try to learn more about Linux in general before trying Arch? Even though there is a core 'chilling', the packages that are included are still a snapshot. What you're distributing are Arch Linux system images with installation helper and core packages snapshot. The system is a snapshot, the packages are, and so might the installation helper be. I think snapshot is a very fitting term.