On 12/9/2009 12:02 AM, David Cournapeau wrote:
On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 9:02 PM, Lie Ryan<lie.1...@gmail.com> wrote:
I disagree, what you should have is an Operating System with a package
management system that addresses those issues. The package management must
update your software and your dependencies, and keep track of
incompatibilities between you and your dependencies.
This has many problems as well: you cannot install/update softwares
without being root,
A package manager with setuid, though dangerous, can run without being
root. Some package manager (e.g. Gentoo's Portage w/ prefix) allow user
to set to install in a non-default directory (one that doesn't require
root access).
there are problems when you don't have the right version,
That's the whole point of package management system! A package
management system are not just plain software installers (like MSI and
NSIS), they go beyond and figure out the "right version" of your
dependencies.
In many package management system, bleeding edge packages are run by
testers that will figure out the dependency your software requires. If
you are nice (it is your responsibility anyway), you can save them some
work by telling them the dependency version you've tested your software
with.
> when the library/code is not packaged, etc...
Don't worry, the majority of users are willing to wait a few weeks until
the library/code gets packaged. Some even _refuses_ to use anything
younger than a couple of years.
> Don't get me wrong, I am glad that things like debian, rpm exist,
> but it is no panacea
They're not; but software developers should maximize functionality
provided by package managers rather than trying to build their own
ad-hoc updater and dependency manager.
> There are simply no silver bullet to the
> deployment problem, and difference cases/user target may require
> different solutions.
The only thing that package managers couldn't provide is for the
extremist bleeding edge; those that want the latest and the greatest in
the first few seconds the developers releases them. The majority of
users don't fall into that category, most users are willing to wait a
few weeks to let all the just-released bugs sorted out and wait till the
package (and their dependencies) stabilize.
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