Zero Install: The Future of Linux on the Desktop?

SiegeX writes "Zero Install ,which is apart of the ROX desktop environment is not just a new packaging system, it's a whole new way of thinking; a way that I believe is exactly what Linux needs to become a serious contender for Joe User's desktop. Zero Install uses an NFS to both run *and* install apps from. The apps are all self-contained in their own directory; binaries, docs, source code and all. Once the app has been downloaded its kept in a cache from that point on to minimize delay. The beauty becomes apparent when Zero Install is combined with ROX which runs the application by just clicking on the directory it was installed to. Deleting the application along with all the other misc files is as simple as removing the directory it's contained in. This method of partitioning applications in their own directories also allows installing multiple versions of any application trivial. This is something even the greatest of technophobes could understand and use with ease."

Comments

Someone should tell Apple

[SeanTobin]

Someone should really point this out to Steve. I think using this type on installation on Macs would increase useability by leaps and bounds.

I was afraid slashdot wasn't being slashdot

[HappyCitizen]

We haven't had a "Linux is going to take over the world" story in such a long time....

A good idea, here's why...

[heyitsme]

It has been implemented in OS X. This is what happens when you drag a .app file (really, a folder. try to cd into one sometime) and copy it to any point on your hard disk (typically /Applications).

Reminds me of an old joke...

Microsoft: Where do you want to go today?
Linux: Where do you want to go tomorrow?
BSD (in this case, OS X): Are you guys coming or what?!?

If you can make more money, do harm.

[Futurepower(R)]

The full name is "Windows Registry Copy Protection and OS Degradation Scheme". It's part of the "Treat all customers like criminals because some are criminals" Initiative.

Re:Going back in time?

[Kick the Donkey]

Yeah.. Everything is stored in Program Files. Except when things are put into C:\Windows\System32. Or the Registery.

Re:This sounds perfect...

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

--
Member of the Stop Fucking Saying 'M$' army

Hhhm. I think your sig needs to be abbreviated.

You should go with: M$F$M$A

Oh Yeah, Great Idea...

[Jameth]

With fully self-contained apps, we could do away with those silly shared libraries, and we could also just pitch reusing simple programs. Maybe, maybe if we ditched the fifo, we would have finally removed all the flaws in UNIX!

Re:Similarities to Archimedes

[pigpogm]

I, er... didn't RTFA.

I mustn't be new around here.

Re:Don't bitch to Steve

[Anonymous Coward]

"Bitch to whoever decided that that app should have an installer."

Installers are just a "solution" to make it more difficult to copy an application to a friend ("casual piracy").

Soon they will be asking you to insert an original CD-ROM in order to play a game, and, eventually, they will come with a way to require you to "activate" the software. Oh, wait...

Grammer Trolling my own post

[spun]

I hate it when people don't use apostrophes correctly. It's one of my pet peeves. "It's" gets an apostrophe when it's a contraction of "it is," and loses its apostrophe when it is possesive.

I even previewed, but it's an easy one to miss.