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Building A Better Package Manager
SilentBob4 writes "Adam Doxtater of Mad Penguin has published a preliminary layout for his proposed cross-distribution package manager capable of adding/removing software from any locale. He is suggesting the interface will basically allow for installation of several major package formats including RPM, DEB, TGZ, as well as source code with the ability to pass build time options. All of this will come at the price of standards of course, including naming, documentation, and package structuring. If this idea were to catch on, it would signify a major leap in desktop Linux usability. This might be a project that UserLinux might benefit from. Read the full column here (complete with GUI mockups)."
apt isn't easy to use and isn't a desktop app.
If anything it's time for the Open Source community to "Embrace and Lag Behind" yet another Mirosoft innovation.
Microsoft Research has a new product in beta named "Microsoft Visual CAB++.NET" that will provide for all your packaging needs. Call 1-800-SUCK-ASS for the 411.
Chinpokomon! You Americans with your massive, gargantuan penis! Keeping world safe from Iraqi WMD!
All these conversations about different package formats, dependency hell, et al. flies right over the heads of many Debian users. Many of us are usually surprised at the amount of problems other distros have when it comes down to packaging. Now before you mark me as a troll ponder this: It isn't the package format that needs revision its the maintaining of an entire repository of packages. This is why Debian users are surprised by all this, or possibly why some migrated to the distro to begin with. People need to stop worrying about what format there software comes from, but rather begin creating a universal set of dependencies and one congruent software repository. Until then only debian users will know the true joy in running apt-get update && apt-get upgrade.
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