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Debian 6.0 about to take flying leap off long term support cliff
Here's a novel use for February 29th: ending security updates for Debian 'squeeze'
2016 is a leap year so we're all blessed with an extra day to use. And the folks behind Debian Linux are using it to end support for the sixth version of the distro.
The outfit's announcement reminds users that Debian 6.0 debuted back on February 6th, 2011. That little piece of history means the project's Long Term Support goal “ to extend the lifetime of all Debian stable releases to (at least) 5 years” can and will be invoked.
The Long Term Support team will therefore stop delivering security updates for version 6.0, but will pick up the baton from the Security Team's work on Debian 7.0, aka “Wheezy”. That transition will take place on April 26, 2016.
But Wheezy will be shuffled off this mortal coil: its Long Term Support window expires on May 31st, 2018. Debian 8.0, “Jessie”, gets the long-term treatment from May 2018 until some time in April or May 2020.
Debian 9's still on the drawing board and will be called Stretch when it's released. ®