Why must LTS die?

[ManamiVixen]

ibjsb4, but there are repositories for the latest KDE 4.11, Latest Nvidia and X.Org, and kernel 3.8.4 from the Ubuntu Mainline Kernel site. I essentialy have Kubuntu 13.04, but with Precise Repos. . Actually, it more up to date than Kubuntu 13.04 in terms of the core components.

[monkeybrain2012]

I have only had problems with the interim releases, I am not saying there bad but there are a lot of people who I have installed Ubuntu on there computers as a primary desktop and the few who have upgrade would have me come over to to put back the LTS. For me I don't care about the latest packages, what is the point of the latest and greatest if some of my favorite applications stop working? There is non.

Then why not just use Debian?

[Peripheral Visionary]

For the really conservative types who only use LTS as is (no ppa or other new "additives" that may carry even an infinitesimal chance of instability) and are happy to be frozen in time for 3-5 years (like people who are still on Lucid) I can't understand why they don't simply switch to Debian, which seems a lot more suit to their use cases.

Because Debian doesn't "just work" the way the 'buntu family does. I always use only LTS releases because for one thing, I don't enjoy re-installing my OS every 6 months (and upgrading is still a high-risk prospect too often). For another thing my computer is old and won't run a lot of the newer software. The older stuff works fine so why not use it instead of the newer stuff that either runs slower or not at all. When I install the next LTS I want one that will still work on this old machine. When Xubuntu gets to be too much for this old dog, I'll switch to Lubuntu or just do a minimal install and throw Xfce (not xubuntu-desktop) or LXDE (not lubuntu-desktop) and really light weight applications on it.

For those who want practically indefinite support, I hear that Slackware supports it's versions for many more years than just 3 to 5. It still gets updates long after any current 'buntu LTS has reached the end of it's support. And there's always Debian's "Old Stable" branch which would be like using an old expired 'buntu - except that it still gets security updates.

An OS that runs away from my hardware and makes it obselete before it's time doesn't interest me. I want to use it until it finally dies before replacing it if I can, despite the fact that new ones are so cheap. LTS helps me do that.

[DMGrier]

Then why not just use Debian?

Well I tried and it requires some driver that you cannot get from the installer, I came to Ubuntu from Windows looking for something that just worked since Vista was a nightmare. I only recently started to actually learn the more complex side of Ubuntu with some books I picked up but when I am not doing my new hobby I want a desktop that just works and allows my favorite applications to work and my OS to work. When I was using Ubuntu 12.10 I was getting error reports left and right and it honestly started to remind me of the error reports in quantity I would have gotten on XP or Vista. So I have tried Debian and found myself doing more work then what I cared for, LMDE works very well for me but there is something that keeps pulling me back to Ubuntu.

[jockyburns]

Nobody is forcing them, but you are assuming the mass public of the world is far more competent than they actually are. Most people will look to the media, Canonical, and other software and hardware companies for what to run. Of course they all will be sayin "Use Ubuntu 12.04, it the latest from Canonical!" It's only true as in terms of stable release. But the software will be outdated and the mass user who isn't fully aware of Linux and how it works will likely never get new software believing they have already have the current and latest.

Any internet search for Ubuntu, will of course return the latest results. Definitely won't just return version 12.04.
I can't understand you saying, "The software will be outdated." What about the millions of Windows users, who went from Win XP to Win 7, and on to Win8 ? These people don't get interim versions. Would you say Win8 users are using an outdated system in a years time? (because for sure, there won't be a newer Win version for quite some time yet) (unless you think Service Pack 1, 2, 3, ad nauseum, counts ?)
I'd say to the Ubuntu users out there, "Use whatever version of Ubuntu you like." Some users on here still run 10.04. Not because they want the latest version, but because it runs well on their machine (which for all we know might be using a Pentium 3 processor) Now would you try to run 12.10 or even 13.04 on those machines? I doubt if it would run anyway.
Linux has it's uses and one of those enables old computers to regain some usefulness, instead of ending up in some South African landfill.

[leclerc65]

I need stability not 'new for the sake of change'.

[Linuxratty]

As long as software is supported and maintained it is not outdated.

Newer doesn't necessarily mean better.

I agree. Different strokes and all.

[Primefalcon]

I like LTS because I wont want to have to upgrade constantly.... I need a stable release... I do my work....

[ikt]

I like LTS because I wont want to have to upgrade constantly.... I need a stable release... I do my work....

I like Ubuntu LTS's because they are new enough to be usable and stable enough to be... stable

Debian LTS's I use on my servers because they have minimal updates and basically stay the same thing as the day I installed them.

[sandyd]

While I do agree with LTS releases, there are some things that push users/server operators to update to newer releases and/or give them serious headaches.

For example (seriously, this is just an example, dont fire at it...), you have probably heard of the RT Request Tracker, which Canonical uses for ticket management. I tried setting up that thing on 12.04 with LDAP Integration. It never happened, because 12.04 was missing a package required for LDAP integration (rt4-extension-authenexternalauth), which mysteriously appeared in 12.10. If I were an administrator in a company who was looking at long term support, and wanted to setup RT, I would be looking to use 12.04, which I wouldn't be able to use since it is missing the integration for AD/LDAP that is used.

The result?
Either
a) Company goes, whacks RT a few times, and compiles it manually
b) Goes to some other distro where the package actually exists, while having LTS
c) .etc .etc

It is mainly these random situations that I have against LTS releases