## Auto-converted by kwiki2moinmoin v2005-10-07
Let's freeze Unstable until we are ready to release a Stable version.

Pros:

 * Keeps Unstable from being continually destabilized further
 * Would force people taking an interest in releasing Stable
 * Stable would be more up to date when released

Cons:

 * In the past this has resulted in stable releases with key subsystems like GNOME being a year or more out of date at the time of release.
 * This worked better when Debian was small.

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On the other hand, maybe this would encourage more appropriate use of experimental ...

I have concerns about the state of unstable, and how long it would take to get it into a releaseable state compared to testing. Look at the release-critical bug lists to see the dramatic difference at the moment (December 2004). -- ColinWatson

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I think there should be a constraint on unstable that every package should be reasonably releasable and be able to reasonably expect that the package will be ready for migration to testing within a certain period of time.  

That means tracking the stable upstream releases in unstable unless there is good reason.  CVS pulls and development trees belong in experemental.  --MikeFedyk

See ReleaseProposals for alternatives.