Re: Gnome/Linux Application Installer

["Ben 'The Con Man' Kahn" <xkahn cybersites com>]

On Wed, 23 Dec 1998, David Jeske wrote:

> If you believe otherwise, then explain to me how a package system,
> with today's hardcoded apps, is going to allow me to:
>   1) install multiple versions of the same app
>   2) install an app without having root privileges

	To tell you the truth, I don't believe that you *should* be able
to install applications without having root privs.  Sure, you can install
some programs in your home directory, but it shouldn't be a standard
thing.  I tend to follow this model:

	I install an application in my home directory...  Test it.  Then
install it as root into the system.  When I'm just a plain user, I do the
same thing, but bug the sys-admin to install it.

	As for installing multiple versions of an application, well...
How do you do that with perl?  Easy!  Just name the program perl4 perl5
and symbolic link things.  :^)  And you can do the same with directories.
Slackware worked like that, if I recall, and there is a configuration tool
that does something similar as well.
						-Ben

------------------------------------ |\      _,,,--,,_  ,) ----------
Benjamin Kahn                        /,`.-'`'   -,  ;-;;'
(212) 924 - 2220                    |,4-  ) )-,_ ) /\
ben@cybersites.com --------------- '---''(_/--' (_/-' ---------------
          Meet Linux: Forrest Gump as an operating system.