Ubuntu
btrfs-tools package

Why a huge lag in implementation of btrfs

Asked by Svenn Ivar Grønmo

Why is there a several-year lag between the official btrfs version and the version Ubuntu is implementing?

Right now Ubuntu has version 3.12 of btrfs, in which is 2 years old and experimental and unstable, despite that version 4.0 is available, in which is stable. If Ubuntu is implementing version 3.17 when 4.X is available in the next LTS, then this has to be on purpose.

Do the Ubuntu maintainers disagree with the btrfs developers that the latest version is in fact stable? Do they spend time testing? Or is there some political thinking behind this?

The reason I'm asking is because when I'm starting to use btrfs, I want to be sure that I am using a stable version. If the Ubuntu maintainers disagree if the latest version is stable, then I want to look into that.

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actionparsnip
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Revision history for this message
Best actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

I suggest you report a bug. If the bug and security fixes are significant then the package will be updated

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Manfred Hampl (m-hampl) said : 		#2

It seems that you have misunderstood Ubuntu's release strategy, Ubuntu is no rolling release.

When an Ubuntu release is published, it contains software in a certain version. And during the live cycle of that Ubuntu release there is no automatic upgrade to higher versions of the included software - unless:
it is software from a specific list (kernel, timezone data, firefox, thunderbird, java, and some more)
or there are important bug fixes or improvements that justify a SRU.

See also my answer in https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/btrfs-tools/+question/266693

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Svenn Ivar Grønmo (svennivar) said : 		#3

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.

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Svenn Ivar Grønmo (svennivar) said : 		#4

Thank you Manfred for the information about Ubuntu's release strategy and my options, it was feed for thought. I filed a bug report before I saw your comment. But I have also made a new comment on the bug report, to justify the bug report. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/btrfs-tools/+bug/1453582