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There have been no updates newly (for approximately 3 months) on any of my CentOS 5.5 boxes while I run 'yum check-update'. I possibly misunderstanding the repo setup, but seeming at the file mod dates, it looks that there hasn't been an update as 2011-01-06: in the meantime, a famous North American Enterprise Linux seller has had multiple security and insect fixes since then: Is CentOS 5.5 at a standstill getting updated, or am I missing something (fairly possible).
I just search this on many places but can’t find any solution for this. I even check the FAQ and all, then also can’t get answer which I need. I'm not saying the details are not there, but if it is, it's not simple to find. Possibly the CentOS 5 FAQ should have a query like, "Why have there been no current updates for CentOS 5?" On an allied note, I have been utilizing CentOS for quite a few times, and I don't remember there being a condition like this: 3 months with no updates (security or else) obtainable. Is this a strange situation, or is this what to expect going onward? If so, what has changed regarding the CentOS project that's leading to this type of delay?
CentOS is forever in catch up mode. This is just because it reorganizes Red Hat Enterprise Linux for those who prefer a distribution company without the costs associated with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Who regularly puts the distribution into a kind of pinch, because Red Hat, quite reasonably, follows its own update schedule. That pinch is being felt strongly in this time with two versions of RHEL in rapid succession (6.0 followed by 5.6). But not only the distribution of developers who are being pinched, as security updates for CentOS 5 have also carried out by the ongoing work for the release of CentOS 5.6 and 6.0.
CentOS had been fighting for a bit in their efforts to make CentOS-6 after the release of RHEL 6 November. Then on January 13, Red Hat launched its latest Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 5.6. At that time, CentOS is faced with a bit of a dilemma: should focus on working in 6.0 or 5.6 in the first place? The verdict was made to work in 5.6 and 6.0 more or less similar. That meant that CentOS had two pretty big works in hand.
I pushed hard to oust RHEL in our data centers in favor of CentOS and I was only able to do that because of the publication "target" delay of several weeks in new versions (not several months) and a few days delay in security updates. I'm in the hot seat with a group of not doing anything that PHB would love nothing more than to raise funds and resources to implement more "security line" solution as "unbreakable" Red Hat Linux Enterprise Linux or Oracle. That would cost the company more wealth and make my life trickier, but it's tough for me to discuss the potential for problems due to these delays in the publication of security updates.
About the best I can recommend it to express their concerns with calm and courtesy in places where developers hang out - mainly from IRC and mailing lists. Dag has always been a strong voice for more open process and healthy development surroundings, but occasionally the way he says things is counterproductive. For 5.5/5.6 and 6.0 not anything large is probable to change, but I hope to be future opportunities to help with the search and verification issues RPMS brands and image, and perhaps more openness in the processes of development and testing.