Relating to (usually) a Linux distribution that is continually updated rather than relying on point releases.
"any user who wishes to have the newest packages will want Tumbleweed. if you need the latest software stacks or need a stable platform closest to bleeding edge Linux, then Tumbleweed is for you."
Most (in fact, pretty much all) distributions of Linux update on a regular schedule, each release being a complete, tested set of software packages tested as a whole. These are known as "point releases", so you'll see (for example) 'Ubuntu 24.04", or one of a series of numbers that identify a complete operating system released as a whole. It's not to say that they aren't ever updated; they usually are. Rolling releases differ in that software packages are being continually updated and released in a steady stream rather than saving it up to be released in one fell swoop in some future.
Advantages are clear; the user gets the latest (and hopefully, greatest), software available on their system without waiting months or even sometimes years. one is always at the leading edge of software development; the latest programming language or library updates, newer, better-featured or more secure Linux kernels, leading-edge development tools and applications. T
There are disadvantages, of course; these include the need to stay on top of updates, which may happen daily. There is always some small risk of instability, but most distro maintainers take steps to do at least some testing to ensure overall operating system stability and end-user sanity.
Well-known rolling releases include Arch Linux, the best-known rolling release distro, and OpenSuSe Tumbleweed. Less well known are Gentoo Linux, PCLinuxOS, Solus, SparkyLinux, and Void Linux.
Why use one of these? in addition to the advantages mentioned above, there are some geek bragging rights, especially in the case of Arch, which is reputed to be hard to install. For most, including myself, it's the knowledge that I'm using the leading edge of the software available without having to wait.
For many years I used openSuSe Leap, a distro that updated every year in the Spring. Upgrading to the new version very year meant jumping through some hoops to upgrade my system, and whilst it was never too complicated or time-consuming, it was inconvenient. With Tumbleweed i can just run one command, wait a few minutes for the packages to be downloaded and updated, and I am good to go. Instability? Not here, not yet, though I have heard from a few people that some updates have caused issues (though they mainly seem to be connected to kernel updates when using an Nvidia graphics card).
$ xclip -o | wc -w
425