> > I hate to compare Linux to Windoze (in general Linux rocks, Windoze quivers) > > but the 'add/remove programs' bit will automagically tell you if you need > > additional stuff in order to run an application (albeit only stuff on their > > CD) and will automagically install it for you at the same time. The same > > goes for the Windoze Update facility that upgrades/adds applications over > > the Internet. If Billy Gates can do it, I'm sure the geniuses (genii?) > > behind the various Linux distros can do it too... I think you're missing one very basic distinction between the Windoze world and the Linux world (and thus the breadth of the problem of auto-installation). Microsoft developed a SINGLE platform to which all programs must be written. If they don't, they don't install and they don't run...period. It's pretty easy to guard the gate when it's that narrow. Even so, your suggestion that MS has solved the dependency problem with their add/remove function is simply not the case and anyone who's found themselves reinstalling the OS after removing applications will attest to that. Linux, on the other hand has done no such thing. There is a kernel and on top of that are several software platorms and software is written for any of them. This is what creates the problems of dependencies in the first place. If you want to take KDE and imbed it in the kernel (a really lousy idea) we can eliminate all this need for thinking when installing programs. Otherwise, you're going to have to worry about whether the right stuff is available to run the program you're installing. Cheers --- Larry
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