Ubuntu: The Verdict

[worker201]

By dumbed down, I refer to the cliche "Make something foolproof and only a fool will want to use it".  When I want the software to hold my hand every step of the way, I'll switch to Windows.  I fear that a GNU Installer would make it difficult to build from source by hand, which takes away some of the power.  A good example is gmencoder.  Yes, it is simple to use.  But it can't do half the things that CLI mencoder can do.  I'd rather have the power than the friendliness.

(which is why I think OSX is so great - you can choose to browse the lazy foolproof OSX, or pop open a terminal window and raise hell)

Let's try to prevent this from happening to Linux:

[piratePenguin]

By dumbed down, I refer to the cliche "Make something foolproof and only a fool will want to use it". When I want the software to hold my hand every step of the way, I'll switch to Windows. I fear that a GNU Installer would make it difficult to build from source by hand, which takes away some of the power. A good example is gmencoder. Yes, it is simple to use. But it can't do half the things that CLI mencoder can do. I'd rather have the power than the friendliness.

I don't think you have much to worry about.

[Kintaro]

How about we make the packages normal ISO -images?
The packages would contain some XML-files, who would define
the sonames and other required interfaces (services, binaries etc) ... and these files would ALSO define the URL:s where
one could download the needed packages. Like bittorrent or
something.

And if an ISV want's to make a retard-proof click'n'pray
application, he would just include ALL the
libraries/binaries that are not defined in LSB.
Then in the target-distro a user could simply click the
ISO, mdm-platform daemon would loop-mount the ISO,
generate a sandbox (with sonames, ldcache, binary assignements
etc) and Run The Damn thing! =)

This idea I got by browsing some developer comments from
the Darwind project. Damn those Apple guys made a
fine job with that Frameworking system.

 Why in the fuck would you want to use ISO images, they do not support real permissions, they do not support lots of things, including tricky filenames and other things, it has a million limitations, ISO images is the worst idea I have EVER heard for a packageing system. I often wonder why the hell such a backwards format is so popular for CDROM and DVD distribution (I usually use UDF myself). Tarballs are fine for package distribution, and package managment systems are often using that.

[Kintaro]

By dumbed down, I refer to the cliche "Make something foolproof and only a fool will want to use it". When I want the software to hold my hand every step of the way, I'll switch to Windows. I fear that a GNU Installer would make it difficult to build from source by hand, which takes away some of the power. A good example is gmencoder. Yes, it is simple to use. But it can't do half the things that CLI mencoder can do. I'd rather have the power than the friendliness.

(which is why I think OSX is so great - you can choose to browse the lazy foolproof OSX, or pop open a terminal window and raise hell)

Let's try to prevent this from happening to Linux:

Ever thought of just clicking "Take no action" and checking the "Always do the selected action" box.

OMG GNOME BRINGS UP A DIAAALOUGGEEEE THAT IS SOOOO ANNOYING WHEN I PLUG MY CAMERA IN ALREADY. OMG THAT IS SO MICROSOFT.

[solemnwarning]

Ever thought of just clicking "Take no action" and checking the "Always do the selected action" box.

OMG GNOME BRINGS UP A DIAAALOUGGEEEE THAT IS SOOOO ANNOYING WHEN I PLUG MY CAMERA IN ALREADY. OMG THAT IS SO MICROSOFT.

KDE rules

[Kintaro]

KDE sucks. Gnome rules.

[Orethrius]

KDE sucks. Fluxbox rules.

^ fixed.

[piratePenguin]

Fluxbox sucks. XFCE rules.

[Orethrius]

Fluxbox sucks. XFCE rules.

5'd.

[MarathoN]

WindowMaker rules

[solemnwarning]

KDE! \o/

[ksym]

Why in the fuck would you want to use ISO images, they do not support real permissions, they do not support lots of things, including tricky filenames and other things, it has a million limitations, ISO images is the worst idea I have EVER heard for a packageing system. I often wonder why the hell such a backwards format is so popular for CDROM and DVD distribution (I usually use UDF myself). Tarballs are fine for package distribution, and package managment systems are often using that.

OKAY no ISO-format then.

But some mountable image format is needed. Tar/*zip packages can not be mounted, and so one can't make retard-proof software packages, like the .Application objects in Mac OS X.

Maybe UDF instead of ISO, then you'll be content with my ideas?

And yeah, i've been told I am a fucking asshole plenty of times, but i gotta tell ya this: If GNU/Linux systems are to be adopted by the mainstream, then they need an easier way to install and run software. Currently there are NO standards that would make it possible to create a package, download it in any distro, install and run the program. And for this I blame the chaotic development model the GNU/Linuxed OSS-scene has.