field tested backports: default delayed and optionally immediate installing of new feature packages
NOTE: This might actually be much easier to implement with a simple user option to install from the NEW queue: https://discuss.freedombox.org/t/update-to-20-13-not-arrived/1036/3
(Filing this as of an upgrade discussion (!1855 (comment 179335)) and in the wake of a badly broken upgrade (https://discuss.freedombox.org/t/fb-20-12-solved-plinth-fails-to-start-due-to-new-frontpage-py-shortcuts-and-filesystem-permissions/994).)
Freedombox should allow end-users to easily field test new packages, to increase the reliability of the default upgrades to "backported" packages that bring new features.)
Rationale:
Installing backports with a delay by default, adds a useful and desirable level of protection to average users on the default upgrade path. It would be a reasonable safety mechanism to back the (positive and good) decision to enable unattended-updates of some backported package with freedombox, by default.
The delay together with showing power-users how to enable immediate installations should result in early detection and prevention of even completely unexpected and false-ok tested problems early on (good support for easy on-site testing). If one of those rare undetected but still happening errors occurs, it's then still possible to remove the breaking package from the repository before all the default installations would install it (even if the package was already downloaded three days ago).
The delay in the proceeding should prevent even undetectable bugs in new backports from ever breaking a default freedombox/stable installation with default update policy.
The configuration page for automatic updates (/plinth/sys/upgrades/) looks like a good place where the user may also manually choose like this:
New Feature Update Preference:
-
Install new features immediately. (To benefit as soon as possible, or easily verify packages on a test installation first.) -
Install new features 5 days after they were downloaded*. (Play-safe default) -
No automatic installation of new features. (For utmost continuity. Security backports are still applied immediately.)
*Before the actual install, a check verifies that the previously downloaded package is still available online and has not been removed, e.g. due to a bug.
(apt-get --dry-run <package>:<specific-previously-downloaded-version> ???)
Security backports (and bug-fix backport releases!) that enter the backports repository always have to be installed immediately (without a delay). Are they detectable in backports? (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23431451/debian-apt-get-upgrade-how-to-install-only-security-updates ?)
Optionally, a button to "Manually install new features now" could be nice. (Or make this also covered by the regular manual update.)
Edit: Maybe delay 5 or more days to leave time for weekends and holiday of maintainers and ftpmasters.