Remy Maucherat wrote:
Linux is such a mess in large part because people who write software treat it as second-class - 'let someone else deal with compiling binaries for linux, I'll only do it for windows and mac'. As a result linux distributions have the freedom to mess up and 'personalize' each package to their own taste ( we all know how painful it is to switch from one distro to another or use/support 2 distros - each file is in a different place - this is called lock in ). On windows - you can get nice binaries, with installer and everything else you would expect - distributed by the package authors.
Even if we produce binaries, distributions will use their own. People also tend to use what their distribution provides.
I wish there was a way to convince distros not to do their own disparate things -- with Tomcat, Apache, etc, etc. It fragments documentation, support, and automation of configuration, etc, and really is a pity. It would be nice if everything was consistently installed in a standard layout and then symbolic links created into the standard layout from other locations as the distros saw fit -- especially if there was a "repair" script to fix these if needed. Having the location of the original copies of things vary is highly annoying for anyone trying to communicate with those on disparate distros and platforms.
On the other hand, it seems that distros tend to feel some need to do things that seemingly should be common/standard differently (they're almost Microsoft like in that respect...) -- and people obviously use the path of least resistance, i.e. whatever their distro provides.
-- Jess Holle
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