14 DAY TRIAL // Ubuntu developers are now taking into consideration whether they should switch to GNOME 3.10 for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS or to stick with the existing 3.8 branch.
The delay between then newest GNOME release branch and the one implemented in the current version of Ubuntu has been widely disputed in the last few years.
The developers are now trying to determine whether they should even consider updating to the GNOME 3.10 branch or continue to keep working with the proven and very stable 3.8.
“I know this cycle is not finished yet, but in case some of us start thinking about next cycle, I wanted to start a discussion on the GNOME version to use for the lts. I think we should stick with GNOME 3.8 another cycle,” stated Ubuntu desktop developer Sebastien Bacher.
He also provided a few reasons to support his argument. The Ubuntu developers are pleased with the way the current version of GNOME behaves, the focus of the development teams is now on Ubuntu Touch and less on fixing problems with a new GNOME version, and the LTS cycle should only be about bug fixing and nothing more.
“GTK 3.10 deprecates several options, it would be good to stay away from those controverses for the LTS. It seems like the next RedHat enterprise edition is going to be based on GNOME 3.8, if that's the case it would make sense for us to focus on bringing quality to the same version/share the maintainance work a bit [sic],” also said Sebastien Bacher.
As everyone can image, the responses to this proposition have been rather negative and a lot of other developers have been against this idea. It would essentially mean that Ubuntu would officially be two cycles behind GNOME.
The decision hasn't been made yet and it will take a while for Canonical to go one way or the other. Most likely, we'll know for sure after the release of Ubuntu 13.10 (Saucy Salamander) on October 17.