Posted by
timothy
on from the how-many-shopping-days-left dept.
ocipio writes "FreeBSD 5.2 is scheduled to be released by Christmas. Recently marked 5.2-BETA, the ports tree is in a freeze and developers are asking for testing. A TODO list is available for those interested."
Is this going to be the stable release for the 5.x series? I really do hope so, it also seems kinda conveinient that its set for a similar release date as linux 2.6.0, looking forward to installing this anyway, cvsup isnt really an option down a 56k line!
Note that this is different from the name being inserted into the CVS tree -- 5.2-BETA is now available for installation via all the usual mechanisms (ISO image, FTP install, etc), without requiring a preexisting system.
The Roadmap at FreeBSD.org says that RELENG_5 will arrive with 5.3. I've pasted the gist of it below.
"The original schedule of releasing FreeBSD 5.2 and branching RELENG_5 in September 2003 is being pushed back due to the complexity of the remaining tasks. The new schedule follows:
* Nov 5, 2003: 5.2-BETA, general code freeze
* Nov 19, 2003: 5.2-RC1, RELENG_5_2 branched
* Nov 27, 2003: 5.2-RC2
* Dec 2, 2003: 5.2-RELEASE
* Mar 1, 2004: 5.3-BETA, general code freeze
* Mar 15, 2004: 5.3-RC1, RELENG_5 and RELENG_5_3 branched
* Mar 22, 2004: 5.3-RC2
* Mar 29, 2004: 5.3-RELEASE"
Read it in full at http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/article s/5-roadmap/
Obviously this is still the Beta, but the plan is to eventually make 5.2 the start of the production/stable branch. I imagine that the final decision won't be made until after 5.2 has been moved out of Beta and officially released for a while. . . while the testing and Beta period catches a lot of things, there are always bugs that only crop up under the heavier/more diverse use that a final, official release brings. I would wait until 5.2 has been in full release for a couple months, and watch the incoming bug reports to see if there is something that specifically affects you, and after that I'd deem it ready to move things to.
Does anyone know why the PowerPC port is moving so slow?
Because it is a new port for FreeBSD. Because it isn't x86. Because you aren't contributing code to the port:)
It really is a recent port. Give it a little time and the pace of the project should pick up.
-sirket
Re:PowerPC
by
saintlupus
·
· Score: 3, Informative
It really is a recent port. Give it a little time and the pace of the project should pick up.
I asked Jordan Hubbard about this in a feedback session at WWDC earlier this year. He said that if the project isn't dead yet, it's certainly coughing up blood and clutching its chest.
Not too promising. The trolls might finally have a dead BSD to point at.
I recall in an interview with the FreeBSD core team them saying that if you want to run a *BSD on a desktop box, you should run MacOS X, rather than anything else. FreeBSD was targetting the server and workstation markets. Given the obvous respect the core team has for OS X, I wouldn't be surprised if the main reason for the lack of progress is that they don't see a point in the port.
Perhaps if non-Apple (and hence non OS X) PPC hardware were more common then interest may be greater. FreeBSD on an IBM PPC 970 based blade would make a really nice server platform, and may become a focus in the future.
With any luck, this will be the best Christmas EVER!!!
It's not so recent
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Goes back a while actually. The real reason that the PowerPC port is lagging is that it has one developer.
Lagging PowerPC port problem
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 3, Funny
"Goes back a while actually. The real reason that the PowerPC port is lagging is that it has one developer."
That problem takes care of itself. Once the developer has a complete version, it means that 1/3 of all the PowerPC users will already have the *BSD port. It will be a simple matter for him to give it to the other two.
Merge of Darwin msdosfs, other fixes Not done Apple's Darwin operating system has fairly extensive improvements to msdosfs and other kernel services; these fixes must be reviewed and merged to the FreeBSD tree.
Since one reason the GPL people attack the BSD license so much is that it doesn't require give backs, it's good to see some people do the right thing.
Re:Merge from Apple
by
Brandybuck
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
Sometimes when you don't treat people like potential criminals, you'll find that they "do the right thing" without being asked.
-- Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
Re:Merge from Apple
by
Groganz
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Not to mention any improvements that FreeBSD developers make on top of that can be feed back into Darwin, and so it goes on. And noone has stolen any code:P
-- Saying your OS is the best because more people use it is like saying MacDonalds make the best food
Re:Notable quotables
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Dead? Thats funny. I'm using it right now to reply to your post. Seems plenty alive to me. Honestly...some of you Linux zealots are just as bad as the windows people. They all say "if it's not Windows I'm not using it!" In come the Linux zealots, the open source mirror image of the thing they despise, to proclaim "If it's not Linux...it's dead." Bah. You remind me of a bunch of shorts on the NASDAQ floor.
Re:Notable quotables
by
tarius8105
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Honestly...some of you Linux zealots are just as bad as the windows people.
I like to view Linux zealots as the little children playing soldier in a sandbox, "You're Dead!" "No I'm not dead, I'm superman!" "No! I am superman"...If you dont know what I'm referring to, Linux people are the only ones who refer that their OS is the best in the world and nothing can top it:)
Re:FreeBSD 5.2 will make Linux freaks......
by
MikeCapone
·
· Score: 1
Care to give some examples to back up your claim?
Oh, and Google runs on Linux. Checkmate.
(I'm just kidding -- I'm not really into the holy war myself... Both Linux and *BSD are great)
Slashdot Mirror
Is this going to be the stable release for the 5.x series? I really do hope so, it also seems kinda conveinient that its set for a similar release date as linux 2.6.0, looking forward to installing this anyway, cvsup isnt really an option down a 56k line!
A couple hours ago, 5.2-BETA was officially released.
Note that this is different from the name being inserted into the CVS tree -- 5.2-BETA is now available for installation via all the usual mechanisms (ISO image, FTP install, etc), without requiring a preexisting system.
Tarsnap: Online backups for the truly paranoid
Now that it's 5.2, is it safe to move mission critical systems from 4.x ?
Pretty Pictures!
Does anyone know why the PowerPC port is moving so slow?
With any luck, this will be the best Christmas EVER!!!
Goes back a while actually. The real reason that the PowerPC port is lagging is that it has one developer.
"Goes back a while actually. The real reason that the PowerPC port is lagging is that it has one developer."
That problem takes care of itself. Once the developer has a complete version, it means that 1/3 of all the PowerPC users will already have the *BSD port. It will be a simple matter for him to give it to the other two.
From the TODO:
Merge of Darwin msdosfs, other fixes
Not done
Apple's Darwin operating system has fairly extensive improvements to msdosfs and other kernel services; these fixes must be reviewed and merged to the FreeBSD tree.
Since one reason the GPL people attack the BSD license so much is that it doesn't require give backs, it's good to see some people do the right thing.
I don't see anything stating whether this will be another new technology release or production release. Anyone here know what it'll be?
For folks wondering if this is a production release or whatnot, you might like to read the 5-STABLE roadmap, more specifically, the 5-STABLE schedule.
Semantics is the gravity of abstraction
Now I know what to buy everyone for Christmas!
Saying your OS is the best because more people use it is like saying MacDonalds make the best food
Dead? Thats funny. I'm using it right now to reply to your post. Seems plenty alive to me. Honestly...some of you Linux zealots are just as bad as the windows people. They all say "if it's not Windows I'm not using it!" In come the Linux zealots, the open source mirror image of the thing they despise, to proclaim "If it's not Linux...it's dead." Bah. You remind me of a bunch of shorts on the NASDAQ floor.
Honestly...some of you Linux zealots are just as bad as the windows people.
:)
I like to view Linux zealots as the little children playing soldier in a sandbox, "You're Dead!" "No I'm not dead, I'm superman!" "No! I am superman"...If you dont know what I'm referring to, Linux people are the only ones who refer that their OS is the best in the world and nothing can top it
Care to give some examples to back up your claim?
Oh, and Google runs on Linux. Checkmate.
(I'm just kidding -- I'm not really into the holy war myself... Both Linux and *BSD are great)
Treehugger? Treehugger... Treehugger!