For proprietary software users, there is not much excitement when it comes to upgrading to a new version. Because this upgrade is usually for some patch repairs or minor feature upgrades to pay for the bill. Even if you don't think about money, this kind of upgrade can bring a lot of waste in time, such as backing up files, uninstalling old versions and installing new versions. In stark contrast, Linux users expect upgrade time to be as much as expecting their birthday. For example, for a new version of KDE or Gnome, the cool new features and user experience are free. Unlike upgrading Windows software, Linux program upgrades are usually handled by the operating system itself. Linux users can usually wait for the upgrade manager to complete this task. The upgrade time of a Linux application is usually an opportunity for users to relax. Open source software developers give their users a gift that can continue to bring surprises.
First, user-driven is the biggest advantage of open source
Dave Roberts, vice president of strategy and marketing at Vyatta, said, "Most open source projects will launch new versions very quickly. This process is community-driven, of course There will also be commercial companies involved, so users will often see the expected new features. But usually it won't be too unexpected for new features. If a developer often discusses with his users, new features are often difficult to be a Secret. This process is very transparent.” For an open source project, there is often constant discussion or communication between the user and the development team, which will allow the product user to prepare for the upgrade. In contrast, proprietary software companies develop products driven by their own will, rather than direct user involvement. A new version of a proprietary software product typically takes 12 to 18 months to enter the market. Open source software may see several different version upgrades every month. In the open source world, users are closer to development. Upgrades are usually more granular, Roberts said. The cost of the new version is much smaller, usually just posting the new version of the address for users to download, no need to burn to a disc or packaging. Second, the potential impact of frequent upgrades
Although users often expect to see more frequent new features "gifts" in their favorite applications, software developers tend to be contradictory to this process. View. "Frequently releasing new versions is a double-edged sword. Software developers have been fixing and patching their applications. The downside is that developers don't want to always upgrade," Open Solutions Alliance Barry Klawans, co-technical co-founder of JasperSoft, one of the founders of Open Solutions Alliance (OSA), said, "Commercial vendors in open source are often reluctant to make such upgrades frequently." The upgrade process in Linux is generally considered It is quite perfect. In many Linux distributions, the upgrade to the operating system is done automatically through a Microsoft-like upgrade manager. Software applications can be tracked through the upgrade manager so that users usually do not need to do anything other than clicking the OK button below and entering a password. In most Linux distributions, open source software (often referred to as "packages") has been added to the repository by the community in the required format. Its installation scripts are automatically processed by the operating system and added to the list of upgrade manager programs to automatically check for available updates. However, for application packages from outside the community software library, the user has to manually run the installation script. The initial installation and future upgrades may only be implemented by the user entering commands in a terminal window. This is a little bit reminding us of Microsoft's DOS era.