Difference Precise Alpha and Precise Beta installation

[vinay_wagh]

I have installed Ubuntu Precise Pangolin Alpha release (Daily build dated 20-Feb-2012) and have been upgrading it regularly since then. Now I can see that beta release is available.

So I just want to know what is the difference between Alpha release with regular updates and the new beta release. TO have beta release on my computer, do I have to download and re-install?

Same/similar question holds for beta and final? When the final release will be available, do I need to install? Or just a regular update/upgrade will take care of it?

Thanks in advance

-- VInay

[raja.genupula]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle

[darkod]

I don't know how the updates go with test versions, and whether updated Alpha is the same as Beta.

But I wouldn't say that updated Beta will be the same as the final release. You will need to download and install the final release when it comes out.

[PaulW2U]

So I just want to know what is the difference between Alpha release with regular updates and the new beta release. TO have beta release on my computer, do I have to download and re-install?

Same/similar question holds for beta and final? When the final release will be available, do I need to install? Or just a regular update/upgrade will take care of it?

See http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1859235 posted as a sticky in the Ubuntu+1 forum.

[MAFoElffen]

I don't know how the updates go with test versions, and whether updated Alpha is the same as Beta.

But I wouldn't say that updated Beta will be the same as the final release. You will need to download and install the final release when it comes out.
Yes and No.

When we are testing, I test on both the Upgrade Path and fresh newer upgrade package. One way is to see that the Updrage path work. Other, that the install ISO's work.

Differences? You get the same place version wise, but sometimes the difference are in what is left behind getting there. On my 4 dev-cycle test machines, when we get to a release date. I install all as release snapshot-- and point the repo's to the next dev-cycle repo.

My 2 main boxes? The original install field on one says v8.04 (because of a disk crash back then) the other (I built for my fiancé) says 9.10. Both have just done normal do-release-upgrades since then. My main box, I use to use for testing... After I stopped, I did note that it had a few "extra" packages installed for debugging and bug reporting.

I figure all versions here as a snapshot of a rolling release. Last 2 releases, we had less that a week and we were on testing the next. I think dev 12.04 started 2-3 days after 11.10's release.

"Dailies" are a different story than the Updates or from the Milestone snapshots (Apha1, etc). I don't recommend that everyday users try a Daily. Imagine a different build trying to fix "something" or to push something to make a problem more apparent. I've had some daily build that just flat wouldn't work. These are truly "test builds" and are temperamental.

Answer? Yes-- On Dev-Cycle Versions, Alpha will upgrade through Beta to the Release Candidate... to the Release Version.