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Re: debian version ID

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Ben Finney composed on 2016-08-01 03:20 (UTC-0400):

> Felix Miata wrote:

>> Will someone please explain (or point to, since it's not in release
>> notes), why:

>> 1: /etc/os-release (in Jessie at least) does not include the point
>> release version as represented by /etc/debian_version

> The proximate explanation is: Because the API for that file is
> different. It describes the stable release for its whole lifetime, not
> the updates made since that version of Debian was released.

Given the many possible options[1] for that file's content, one would think 
there would be a way to get the extra detail in, maybe VERSION_ID=8 and 
VERSION="8.5 (Jessie)", or move "Jessie" to VERSION_CODENAME and put 8.5 as 
VERSION.

> A related question might be: Where is the canonical location of the
> version string that *includes* the update (e.g. “8.5”)? I don't know
> whether such a thing exists.

>> 2: 8.5 (as installed here on host gx62b) is not using the (LTS) 4.4
>> kernel

> I expect the reason is: Because at the time Jessie was frozen, Linux 4.4
> was not released. An update to Jessie is made only to fix bugs, not to
> gain new releases of packages.

The question was a huge bungle. I was off by a year, thinking that Jessie 
somehow had managed to get all the way from 8.0 to 8.5 since the more recent 
January's LTS kernel 4.4. :-p

> So the question instead is: Why would the general policy of “don't
> upgrade a package to a new version” for Debian stable releases, have an
> exception for this package?

[1] https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/os-release.html
-- 
"The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant
words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation)

  Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!

Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/

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Thread

debian version ID Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2016-08-01 09:00 +0200
  Re: debian version ID Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au> - 2016-08-01 09:30 +0200
    Re: debian version ID Felix Miata <mrmazda@earthlink.net> - 2016-08-01 11:00 +0200
      Re: debian version ID Ben Finney <ben+debian@benfinney.id.au> - 2016-08-01 12:00 +0200
  Re: debian version ID "Andrew M.A. Cater" <amacater@galactic.demon.co.uk> - 2016-08-01 09:40 +0200
    debian version ID Jonathan de Boyne Pollard <J.deBoynePollard-newsgroups@NTLWorld.com> - 2016-08-09 11:10 +0200
      Re: debian version ID Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2016-08-09 13:40 +0200
        Re: debian version ID Seeker <seeker5528@comcast.net> - 2016-08-09 22:40 +0200
          Re: debian version ID David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2016-08-10 02:00 +0200
            Re: debian version ID Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2016-08-10 14:40 +0200
              Re: debian version ID David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2016-08-11 17:10 +0200
        debian version ID Jonathan de Boyne Pollard <J.deBoynePollard-newsgroups@NTLWorld.com> - 2016-08-29 13:50 +0200
          Re: debian version ID "Andrew M.A. Cater" <amacater@galactic.demon.co.uk> - 2016-08-29 20:30 +0200
            Re: debian version ID "Andrew M.A. Cater" <amacater@galactic.demon.co.uk> - 2016-08-29 21:50 +0200
              Re: debian version ID Lisi Reisz <lisi.reisz@gmail.com> - 2016-08-30 00:40 +0200
  Re: debian version ID David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2016-08-01 16:40 +0200

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