Re: Win vs. UNIX usability (Was: Re: gnome-terminal idea)

[John R Sheets <dusk smsi-roman com>]

Tim Moore wrote:
> 
> Installing software is different, though. Unix has security issues to deal
> with, as well as portability issues and any number of other issues. This
> is the tough problem.

Yes.  A lot of the reason that windows software is sooo easy to install
is the complete lack of security.  Any new software package can
conceivably tromp on an old, even unrelated package (or even uninstall
it if the owner is particularly ornery :c).  As soon as you introduce
security and file permissions into the picture, installations suddenly
get more complex.  There's no way around this simple fact.  UNIX
installs will never be as smooth (and sloppy) and brainless as windows
installs.

I can envision a UNIX install program with enough smarts to give the
user a few critical choices and figure out the rest on its own...  "Do
you want to install in your home directory, or in the system
directory?"  If they pick the home directory, it goes right through like
a sloppy windows install.  If they choose a system directory, it then
asks them to choose a root path, e.g. /usr, /usr/local, /opt, etc., and
then asks them for the login/password to install it under.  It could
even run a quick check in standard places, to see if a version of the
current program has already been installed.

To agree with Tim, I don't think there's a fundamental problem.  The
problem is that there is no consistently good, currently-implemented
solution.

John