Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1757403AbZKDRKA (ORCPT ); Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:10:00 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1757297AbZKDRKA (ORCPT ); Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:10:00 -0500 Received: from artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz ([195.113.26.195]:41878 "EHLO artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1757103AbZKDRJ7 (ORCPT ); Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:09:59 -0500 X-Greylist: delayed 1802 seconds by postgrey-1.27 at vger.kernel.org; Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:09:59 EST Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 17:40:02 +0100 (CET) From: Mikulas Patocka To: "Ryan C. Gordon" cc: Alan Cox , =?ISO-8859-15?Q?M=E5ns_Rullg=E5rd?= , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: package managers [was: FatELF patches...] In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: <1257103201.2865.6.camel@chumley> <20091102000147.424f104b@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk> X-Personality-Disorder: Schizoid MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1856 Lines: 39 > Package managers are a _fantastic_ invention. They are a killer feature > over other operating systems, including ones people pay way too much money > to use. No, package managers are evil feature that suppresses third party software and kills Linux success on desktop. Package managers are super-easy to use --- but only as long as the package exists. No developer can make a package for all versions of all distributions. No distribution can make a package for all versions of all Linux software. So, inevitably, there are holes in the [distribution X software] matrix, where the package isn't available. - With Windows installers (next - next - next - finish), even a technically unskilled person can select which version of a given software he wants to use. If the software doesn't work, he can simply uninstall it and try another version. - With Linux package managers, the user is stuck with the software and version shipped by the distribution. If he wants to install anything newer or older, it turns into black magic and the typical desktop user (non-hacker) can't do it. - For non-technical user who can't compile, getting newer software for Linux means reinstalling the whole distribution to a newer version. So, "upgrade one program" translates into "upgrade all programs" (that will bring many changes that the user didn't want and new bugs) Let me say that instead of making a single binary for multiple architectures, you should concentrate on developing a method to make a single binary that works on all installations on one architecture :) Mikulas -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/