Re: Simplifying package installation.

[Michael ROGERS <M Rogers cs ucl ac uk>]

>	If we require user-level package dbs, then suddenly there is a
>system requirement for Gnome that the underlying O.S. have a packaging
>system that supports multiple databases.  I personally know of RPMs and
>DEBs, but do most other OSes have such an application database?  Is this
>really an OS requirements we want to burden Gnome with?

 Where did "require" come in to this?

 OK, I deleted most of this thread, so maybe I'm missing the point, but why
does there have to be a universal Gnome package tool for all package types 
when each system ideally uses only one package type? Can't the vendors who 
insist on creating their own package formats also provide their own package 
tools? Why would the choice of package tool ever be a "system requirement for 
Gnome"? Some systems will support per-user package databases. Some will not. 
Some admins will create user groups to allow users to share software. Some 
will not. Why should Gnome care about any of this? Just identify the file 
type and launch the relevant tool (tar/gunzip, rpm, deb, whatever), and then 
forget about it.


Michael Rogers

"Chewing on glass *and* eating my fingers? Sounds too complicated." That's 
what I used to think.