[CVALE] Installer for Linux

[Terry]

Hi Landon,

You wrote:
 > Why is there not an alternative installer for Linux platforms?

The one liner:
./configure && make && su -c 'make install'

works for me once I've downloaded and unpacked the files.

"apt-get" is even better because it also takes care of the download and 
dependencies.

As you're aware there are a dozen other download, installation, and 
dependency checking methods.

You wrote:
...why isn't their an installer framework for Linux distros that share a 
package management system?

There is.  There's the RPM framework, the DEB framework, and many 
others. Within each of these there are mulptiple distributions and 
installation programs that "share a package management system".

Historically there were self installing shell scripts (.sh) similar to 
the self extracting and installing .exe programs found in windows.

I don't want to discourage you from pursuing a project but wanted to 
remind you that there are many installation frameworks from which 
developers can choose.

Perhaps what you're really asking is why is there not ONE installation 
method and package management system that ALL Linux distributions use? 
The answer is the same reason there is not ONE Linux distribution.

Landon, if the installation project interests you then pursue it. 
You'll probably enjoy the project.  Perhaps in 5 years the word 
"install" will be replaced with the verb "blake" as it will be the only 
procedure used.

(Landon, my comments below are an expansion of your email not directed 
at you or your email.)

Should we suggest there only be ONE programming language or ONE word 
processor that EVERYONE would use?  It would make things easier wouldn't 
it?  In fact, if everyone just used Microsoft Windows and not any other 
operating system then we can say that the universal installation 
framework has already been developed.

More fundamentally, why is software developed for GNU/Linux?  Is the 
goal to replace Microsoft?  Some people think so.  I'm not one of them. 
  I think the development of software has many reasons but the reasons 
don't have to have anything to do with Microsoft or making it as simple 
as possible for the general public to adopt and use.  Though those are 
some of the reasons people develop software.

Even more fundamental is the aspects of communication, standardization, 
creativity, and growth.  But I won't go there .....


Terry


P.S. I just spent 30 minutes on the phone trying to tell someone how to 
do simple GUI window manipulation (move, resize, close) so they could 
copy a file.  They said their windows were "stuck". (They wouldn't hold 
down the mouse button for the drag.)  My frustration is probably coming 
out in this email.




Landon Blake wrote:
> MS Windows has the Microsoft Installer that allows software developers
> to take advantage of a standard way to install and uninstall software.
> Why is there not an alternative installer for Linux platforms? Is it
> because of the different packaging systems used by the different
> distributions? If that is the case, why isn't their an installer
> framework for Linux distros that share a package management system?
> 
>  
> 
> I was thinking that a simple installer framework could be written in an
> interpreted language like Python with a user interface in GTK. The
> installer would allow developers to easily script common installation
> tasks like moving, copying, and deleting files, creating directories,
> creating users, and placing icons on the desktop. I'm guessing that you
> could do the same thing with a shell language like bash.
> 
>  
> 
> The only requirement for support of the installers would be installation
> of the framework and the interpreted language. Wouldn't this make
> software installation on Linux easier for both developers and users?
> 
>  
> 
> Landon
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
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