The Ubuntu 13.04 development cycle may not feature any alpha releases, a session at this weeks Ubuntu Developer Summit has mooted.
Discussion, which although still preliminary is expected to be actioned, suggests disbanding with alpha builds for Ubuntu 13.04, and releasing only one beta.
Ubuntu flavours – Lubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu – would not be affected.
In place of the alpha releases Ubuntu 13.04 would issue ‘monthly milestones’. These would essentially be daily builds with more attention given to them.
Milestones would still allow bugs and features to be ‘targeted’ at specific points, but would give developers and project maintainers a greater flexibility and/or opportunity for landing their work in Raring.
Ubuntu 13.04 Beta would be the first, and possibly only, formal development release. Future LTS releases would retain the use of ‘point’ releases.