[Gnu-arch-users] Re: Re: community spirit

[Matthew Palmer]

On Mon, Nov 01, 2004 at 08:41:50PM +0100, Jacob Gorm Hansen wrote:
> The problem with apt-get and similar easy-to-use tools is that 
> programmers just specifify all sorts of dependencies, instead of putting 
> in a tiny extra effort to make their software stand alone. Look at how 
> much easier installing software is on Windows versus on Linux.

The windows solution to the wrapper problem would be to bundle Python with
the wrapper.  No doubt each wrapper would have a subtly different python
version, which would either install to the same place and screw each other
up, or else install to different places, and you'd end up with 8 copies of
python of your system.

I think, on the whole, I'd rather stick with the Linux way, thanks.

> >    I agree with most of what you said, and I agree that it just feels 
> >wrong to have to install a wrapper to use a tool because the base tool 
> >doesn't cover some common cases, but the problem is not so much the list 
> >of dependencies.  The dependencies I had for installing tla in the first 
> >place were much larger than any wrapper I've used to date.
> 
> As I recall, tla bundles everything it needs, and just produces a single 
> executable (I usually install just by dropping 'tla' in my ~/bin).

tla doesn't bundle anywhere *near* everything it needs.  The first time I
checked out the tla tree, I had no frigging idea how to build it -- it was
missing huge chunks, and I couldn't even find build instructions.  Asking on
IRC got me the config instead, and I was away, but sure as death and taxes,
tla does *not* come with everything it needs.  Then there's the dependence
on GNU tools, which don't come in the build suite.  Sure, you're fine on
Linux, but not Everything Is A GNU.

- Matt

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