rolling release
also: continuous release, bleeding edge
A software distribution model where updates are delivered continuously rather than in fixed version releases, so the system is always kept current with the latest packages.
A rolling release distribution pushes updates to users as soon as they're ready, rather than bundling them into periodic major releases (like Ubuntu 22.04 or Fedora 38). This means your system evolves gradually and continuously.
Examples include Arch Linux and Fedora Rawhide, where pacman -Syu or dnf upgrade might update your kernel, desktop environment, and core utilities all in one session. You stay on the same installation indefinitely.
The trade-off is stability versus freshness: rolling releases get new features and security patches immediately, but may introduce breaking changes or bugs more frequently than stable releases, making them better suited for experienced users or development machines.