If there is a new release/major update of a program (e.g. Rhythmbox 2.97, Skype 4.0 or Gimp 2.8), is there an easy way to tell whether and when they will make it to the current official Ubuntu release repositories (especially to the LTS release, e.g. Ubuntu 12.04)?
Or whether it will never be added to the official repositories, so I don't need to wait and just install it through an added PPA/repository?
I would like to use the program updates, but preferably when they are well tested and adjusted to the Ubuntu release I use (easily updated by the update manager). But some programs seem to never be added/updated and as I want to stick to the LTS release, I would need to add another repository.
I know that there are restrictions to what will be updated (Why don't the Ubuntu repositories have the latest versions of software?, StableReleaseUpdates). But for example Firefox and Thunderbird are now regularly updated and Gimp 2.8 might be available in the backports. There is list of pending Ubuntu stable release updates, but I don't find Firefox, Thunderbird (or Gimp) on it, although they are updated.
I just want to know how to find out whether there is an easy way to know (e.g. one webpage) which programs will be added/updated in the official Ubuntu repositories. Or do we have to ask a question on Askubuntu for every single program?