How do users keep up with release cycles?

[UKBill]

I have installed Puppy a couple of times and fiddle with it, I never sat down to tweak it to my taste, but rather I adjust it as I use it.
That means before I am even half way (so to speak), there is a new version released.

This is no complain, of course, but I do wonder how people, puppy fans actually, deals with that...

Regards.

[Lobster]

I use Puppy usually from the Beta and then the latest release
so for example I am using the second release of 1.0.8r1

http://tmxxine.com/puppy/

I run from CD with some .pups under /mnt/home/
which I install if I need them

I used to install xchat but Gaim (especially with the auto setup in) is fine

I installed Flock but found the latest version did not offer me anything - so I removed it.
I am fine with Mozilla but do on occasion install Firefox which is simpler and more emotionally pleasing than Mozilla

I used to install Open Office but never used it much - so don't bother
I usually install the extra codecs as a pupget for Xine

Audacity
NVU and Inkscape are my most usual dotpups
oh and Gimp

[bugman]

I did a HD install, added Audacity, Dillo, a couple of card games. I also have a custom menu with links to my documents, my own jwm theme (black-on-black), and a bunch of data (gnumeric, abiword, html) files.

Since I have a dialup modem, I have not kept up to date with new releases; I am using 1.07 and might not update until 2 is ready.

I have two HDs and backup (just in case, though Puppy tends not to eat things it shouldn't) my data to the small (4gb) one and update the big (18gb) one, then move my stuff back. I have to use the big one because of Audacity and what editing a half-hour song can do to a small drive...

[rarsa]

I run puppy in three different computers, one always booting from CD, one with poor man's install, one with hdd install.

My normal upgrade procedure is the following:

- Test the live CD loading 100% in RAM to see if all the hardware works OK
- Backup my pup001 file and create a new one (It's in an NTFS partition)
- Test with the live CD allowing to update my pup001 file to see if it chokes somewhere.
- If everything goes OK I keep using the new version and delete the backup after a while. If not, I delete the new pup001 file, rename the old one back and keep using the previous version. Actually the only one I skiped was 1.0.2 after trying it.

I keep all my data in another pup file called pupdata.

For the other computers, once I get used to the new version I just install it.

[babbs]

My vote: "some other option"

I have two partitions dedicated to Puppy. In them, I install (type two hard drive install) the two most recent versions. Presently, I have 1.0.6 and 1.0.7. My 1.0.5 partition became 1.0.7, and like wise, my 1.0.6 partition will become 1.0.8 sometime between tomorrow and Monday. Doing this allows me to ease into the new version and work through issues that may come up (like my WinModem, etc..) and to get comfortable with the configuration settings.

When it comes to my USB thumb drives (I always carry two), I keep them bootable to the most recent version. They are presently 1.0.7, but like the hard drives -- they will be 1.0.8 by Monday.

I always carry extra Puppy Linux CDs with me to hand out (CD-R). They are always the most recent version. (I used to carry one, but got into a situation where I actually needed two in the same setting... I then made sure to have two or three with me, but had a circumstance where even that wasn't enough. I'm currently passing out 5-10 CDs per week.)

[UKBill]

thanks for taking the time to write such detailed answers, I appreciate that.
I hope others will keep voting/commenting...

Regards.

[Pizzasgood]

When a new version comes out, I download it. Then, when I get around to it, I burn it (or I used to, now I get around to swapping files in my poor man's install), rename my pupfile, and start fresh. I keep my install files in a separate partition image (like a pupfile), so after I get done puttering around in a fresh install, I mount it and reinstall whatever I need. I also mount my old pupfile and copy over all my data and a couple programs (like firefox, because that way it is literally identical to my previous setup/cookies, etc.). Then I do some tweaking, and I'm ready to rumble.

The reasons I start fresh are
A. I get to see what the normal Puppy is like (mine is pretty tweaked in some aspects)
B. I never have upgrade problems, or even have to think about having upgrade problems.
C. My knowledge of what I have installed, tweaked, or otherwise different, and how I did it stays fresh.
D. Because I can.