Updating Software under Linux: Strikes 5 and 6

Many reader comments to my prior posting, Updating software in Linux: four strikes and you're out, raised interesting points that I'll address here.  But in reading and responding to them, I came across two more gripes about updating software in Linux, which I'll refer to as strikes 5 and 6.

STRIKE 5

Why are there three software update applications? Why is there no documentation with a brief background explanation of each and their pros and cons? Why are they not listed together in the menu structure? Add/Remove is under the Applications menu, the other two fall under System -> Administration. If they compete to do the same thing, then there should be a "Software Update" sub-menu under System -> Administration where all three are listed, along with a link to some type of documentation explaining the differences between them. Linux needs to do more to welcome new users.

STRIKE 6

Windows Firefox users are accustomed to using Help -> Check for updates. But under Linux (not just Ubuntu) this is disabled. Why? Why can't this invoke a package manager with a parameter just to look for Firefox updates? Don't any of the package managers take start-up parameters?

READER COMMENTS

I may not have been clear in discussing the Synaptic Package Manager. The option to upgrade Firefox was disabled because Synaptic thinks the currently installed version, 3.0.3+nobinonly-0ubuntu2 (intrepid), is also the latest version. The latest version is actually 3.0.6. I updated the original posting to be clearer.

There were a number of comments saying that new software releases are tested for compatibility before being made available to the Linux community. That doesn't explain away running a version of Firefox that is 3 point releases old. Version 3.0.4 of Firefox, the first one that is missing, was released on November 12, 2008. Close to three months ago. It can't take three months to test a minor point release to popular and critical software such as Firefox.

Some people made excuses for the system, asking if I knew what bugs were fixed in Firefox v3.0.4 or 3.0.5 or 3.0.6 and implying that they are minor. I don't know what the fixes are, but I want them. All Firefox users should want them.

The defense of Linux by readers of the previous article was, in part, irrational. Some people blamed me, some said the point releases of Firefox were no big deal. Some pointed out the poor state of updates in the Windows world, a pet peeve of mine. Yes, the way software is updated in Windows is archaic and disgraceful. Until Windows updates all software from all vendors with a single tool it will remain miserably vulnerable and unreliable. But, that's not the point.

Ubuntu 8.10 runs a buggy version of Firefox.

Linux distributions need to make the updating process simple to the point that new users can install the latest version of Firefox without a cheat sheet.

Update: An anonymous user below pointed out that, at times, I referred to "Linux" when I should have been referring specifically to Ubuntu. Here is an excerpt from the comment:
 

But your article is mis-titled! This has nothing to do with Linux but everything to do with Ubuntu! The unavailability of the latest version of Firefox has everything to do with Ubuntu's policies. Ubuntu is not Linux; Ubuntu is a distribution of Linux! There is a big difference there. Other distributions have widely different solutions when it comes to package management! Don't like Ubuntu's policy making? Try something else, there are many other options, some which always has the latest and greatest, and some that stay ever further behind the curve.

I meant to direct my points at the three software update applications, some of which must be in other distributions too.

Does Synaptic say that version 3.0.3 of Firefox is the latest because of Synaptic or because of Ubuntu? Since it doesn't externalize a "last checked date", there's no way to know. If it said, for example, that as of November 1, 2008 version 3.0.3 was the latest, then I'd know that it needs to check again. If it said that as of today, version 3.0.3 was the latest, then there's a different problem. 

It's very possible that each of these applications can update Firefox to a newer version. My big point was that it wasn't obvious how.  There is no reason for there not to be a big "Check for updates now" button, let alone a "last checked date". 

Update: Relevant documentation from Ubuntu: Adding, Removing and Updating Applications