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seeds : update the seed overview page #590

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seeds : update the seed overview page
hector-cao Apr 30, 2026
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utkarsh2102 Jul 8, 2026
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153 changes: 31 additions & 122 deletions docs/staging/release-team/seeds.md
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Expand Up @@ -22,10 +22,14 @@ Practical guidance:
: {ref}`seed-management`
```

Seeds are text files listing the packages we want to include in the Ubuntu
distribution. A {ref}`germinate` script parses these seed files and ensures the
packages are installed on the user's system.
A seed is a plain-text file that defines a curated set of packages using a small, specialized syntax.
Seeds are used to describe which packages should be included in the support
package set represented by the [main component](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/project/how-ubuntu-is-made/concepts/package-archive/#main)
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, as well as which packages make up different Ubuntu system images.

Rather than listing every dependency explicitly, seeds express the intended package selection at a high level; tools
like {ref}`germinate` then expand these definitions into complete, dependency-resolved package lists used for
building and maintaining the distribution.

## Available seeds

Expand All @@ -42,7 +46,7 @@ Archive's `main` component:

These are described in more detail below.

These are not the only seeds that exist - you can
These are not the only seeds that exist. You can
[view the current seeds](https://static-reports.ubuntu.com/seeds/)
and the corresponding
[germinate output](https://ubuntu-archive-team.ubuntu.com/germinate-output/)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -204,80 +208,30 @@ desktop list.
(seeds-supported)=
### Supported

The supported system provides functionality not included by the standard or
desktop systems but which meets the following criteria:
The supported seeds allow to include packages into main while not including
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it in any media (ISOs), images or installation (via meta packages). This list
is all the extra packages we think need to be supported in our distro.

1. It is very widely used, people are committed to it.
Additional packages can be added to this list, but they need to complete a
{ref}`Main Inclusion Review <main-inclusion-review>` process and have an
owning team.

1. It is not architecturally insecure, it is thus easy for us to provide
security fixes and updates.

This list would include popular servers other than the ones we include in a
standard or desktop install, additional desktop software, and a build
environment. It is never expected that someone would install the entire
supported list of packages; they would choose specific packages that provide
specific needed functionality.

This list is all the extra packages we think need to be supported in our distro.
We will accept contributions of additional packages into this list, if they:

1. Have an external maintainer who agrees to maintain them to our standard,
in [Bzr](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bzr), using `Soyuz`.
1. Pass a one-time security review from `MartinPitt` and agree to be responsive to him on `SecurityPage` issues.

```{note}
These steps are VERY out of date. `MartinPitt` and `SecurityPage` no longer
exist on the wiki, but also don't redirect anywhere. Please update the process,
and then delete this note.
```

Some packages in this list will also ship on the CD, subject to the amount of
space we have on the CD. They would typically be cached on the installed hard
drive for rapid installation without the CD. All of these packages will be
available in the online archive of packages.



supported-desktop
: Should not contain anything; it aggregates the more specific Desktop-related
seeds.

supported-desktop-extra
: Packages that get additional support for 5 years on an LTS.
The supported set is categorized into different sets, usually prefixed with
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"supported":

supported-server
: Should not contain anything; it aggregates the more specific Server-related
seeds.

supported-hardware-desktop
: Hardware-related packages used on Desktop only.

supported-hardware-common
: Hardware-related packages that are used on both Desktop and Server.

supported-installer-desktop
: Installer-related packages used for Desktop installations only.

supported-installer-common
: Installer-related packages that are used on both Desktop and Server.

supported-network-common
: Network-related packages that are used on both Desktop and Server.

supported-sysadmin-desktop
: System administration packages that are used on both Desktop and Server.
: Additional packages that are considered part of the supported server package set,
but are not necessarily part of the default installed image.

supported-sysadmin-common
: System administration packages that are used on both Desktop and Server.

supported-development
: Development packages that are used on both Desktop and Server.
supported-desktop
: Additional packages that are considered part of the supported desktop package set,
but are not necessarily part of the default installed image.

supported-misc-servers
: Miscellaneous Server-only packages.
supported-common
: Server and Desktop packages defined in supported-server and supported-desktop

@s-makin s-makin May 27, 2026

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This wording implies that all packages contained in supported-server and supported-desktop are included. The previous definitions of "common" implied that it's only the subset of packages contained in both server and desktop. Which one of these is correct?


supported-kernel
: Kernel packages that are used on both Desktop and Server.
For the full list of supported categories, see the
[Platform seed repository](https://git.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-core-dev/ubuntu-seeds/+git/platform).

```{admonition} Historical note
:class: note
Expand All @@ -299,54 +253,9 @@ supported themselves, are automatically added to a special "extra" list.

## Maintenance period

**Maintained** means that the team *commits to providing security updates for
the packages that are defined in the seed and whatever dependencies are
necessary to make them work*.

```{admonition} Lynx link's invalid - what's the current replacement?
The exact manifests are release-specific and can be found at the Release
Manifest page of the release in question (e.g. for 10.04 LTS at
[Lucid Lynx/Release Manifest](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LucidLynx/ReleaseManifest).
```

Canonical provides free maintenance for Ubuntu products as follows:

````{admonition} Needs to be updated

Ubuntu Desktop, Kubuntu, Ubuntu Server
: Security updates and select bug fixes:
* 9 months since Raring [13.04]
* 18 months for prior non-LTS releases
: This is currently defined as the entire content of `main`

Ubuntu Desktop LTS, Kubuntu LTS
: Security updates and select bug fixes:
* 5 years since Precise [12.04]
* 3 years for prior LTS releases
: This is defined as the union of the ship, supported-desktop and
supported-desktop-extra seeds

Ubuntu Server LTS
: Hardware compatibility updates (until next LTS)
: Security updates and select bug fixes (5 years)
: This is defined as the union of the server-ship and supported-server seeds

The `Packages` file contains the `Supported` field, as generated by Soyuz via
the `maintenance-check.py` file from
[`ubuntu-archive-publishing`](http://code.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-archive/ubuntu-archive-publishing/trunk/).

```{note}
Since it is no longer possible to view bazaar-hosted files in the web browser,
it is necessary to check this file out locally, following the instructions in
the repository.
```
````

The content of `main` is defined as the union of the seeds: `ubuntu.all`,
`kubuntu.all`, `edubuntu.all`, `netbook.all`. If that changes then the code in
`maintenance-check.py` needs updating.

```{admonition} Question
Should we also reference Ubuntu Pro and the maintenance schedule for that here?
```

A binary package being in `main` implies that the
[owning team](http://reports.qa.ubuntu.com/m-r-package-team-mapping.html)
commits to maintain the source package. Furthermore, the Ubuntu security team
provides security coverage.
This coverage is further extended by [Ubuntu Pro](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/project/how-ubuntu-is-made/concepts/glossary/#term-Ubuntu-Pro),
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which provides expanded security maintenance coverage.
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