The sharper minds out there will have noticed that in addition to the “Rock” Update Channel discussed above there are also Update Channels called “cooker”, “rolling”, and “rock”. These are repository files for the different OpenMandriva releases which follows a 3-tiered release model. Brief description is:
Cooker - Cooker is and always has been the development branch or Mandrake/Mandriva/OpenMandriva. It is where developers work. It is highly experimental (on purpose) and Cooker is not stable. Most of you should not even consider using Cooker. When we say it is for developers we mean it.
Rolling - Is a new concept where OM QA-Minions at some point move latest Cooker packages to a rolling release we very creatively called Rolling. It is for users that want the latest and greatest packages. Like any “bleeding edge” distribution of Linux problems are more likely. While it should be generally stable users that get frustrated by problems or don’t know how to fix things themselves should not use this. If you choose to use Rolling then by implication you acknowledge responsibility for being able to deal with some problems and breakage.
Rock/Stable - Stable is the actual latest stable release of OpenMadriva. Rock is Stable but the difference is that the Rock repo files are designed to automatically upgrade user when there is a new stable release. Using OM Lx 4.0 as an example since it is current. If you use “release” repos you will always have packages and updates from the 4.0 repository. If however you enable Rock instead today you will get packages from the 4.0 repository but when OM Lx 4.1 (and subsequent) release happens you will be automatically switched to 4.1 repositories and automatically upgraded to 4.1.
The work flow model for OpenMandriva packages might help make things more clear
Cooker>Rolling>Rock/Stable
That is packages go from Cooker to Rolling to Rock/Stable. Packages do not go the other way. Thus newest packages=most problems=least stable more used/developed/tested packages=least problems=most stable.
The two most important things about OM Lx Releases are:
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Don’t mix them. If you use “release” use “release” only. Same for “rock”, “rolling”, and “cooker”. Pick one and use that one only always.
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You can switch releases up only and once only. This means you can if at some point you so choose switch from “release” to “rock” or “rolling” but you can not, should not, and better not, try switching from “rolling” to “rock” or “release”. Remember “upgrade only” no downgrade allowed.
Do not under any circumstances do either of the above. If you do you will cause your computer to break and probably cause your city, country, and planet earth to change in unspeakably horrible ways. If you do this the wrong way don’t bother posting for help on this forum. Do a fresh install instead.
Know it, learn it, believe it, use it.
