Linux's dirty little secret

Quoting:> Debian uses /usr/share/doc/{application_name} as just such a repository of manuals, "changes", examples, and other useful stuff.

AFAIK it's just LINUX in general that does this, because it's in the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard:

http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html#USRSHAREARCHITE...

Quoting:This is incorrect. Debian has non-free and contrib repos which serve this purpose.

Great, I'm wrong and the problem is already solved. However, I still can't understand why the first method of installing VMWare on Ubuntu I found on the net was this rather complex one:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VMware/Workstation

This is the one I got for Debian:

http://www.howtoforge.com/debian_sarge_vmware_server_howto

This lead me to believe installing VMWare in Debian takes more than the two steps it takes in Gentoo (apart from the license issue). So my question: Where's the two step guide to installing VMWare in Ubuntu?

Quoting:Anyway, is somebody aware of a kind of 'Distro-tour' (like the tour in XP) that is available in any distro...

Yes, Linspire, everyone's favorite whipping boy has one. (Had one?)

Well, honestly, they deserve kudos for that. At least in my opinion. Every distro which (partially) aims at the computer illiterates should provide one.

Quoting:Rootless Gobolinux is not ready for prime time, but only because of lack of developer interest. You can install Gobolinux packages inside any other distro. Furthermore, it is trivial to install two versions of the same app/libraries

I'd say: Superseded by Klik(2) these days,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klik_(packaging)

which offers the same features and more. In fact it's (also?) a protocol which tools like Konqueror can recognize (like media:/ ). And the best thing is, because 1 app is one file it's trivial to delete apps. It was mainly designed to be able to provide cross-distro packages which you can mail to your grandma even if she uses another distro, and she can just 'klik' on it and it starts. It also uses 'partially writable filesystem overlays' instead of symbolic links. However, not many people are aware of this opportunuty and it's not installed by default in distro's, neither are there 'klik' packages available for each distro.

Quoting:but I prefer regular packages.

OK, but they're not cross-distro. I wish packages were; it would be handy if for example the treasury could spread its tax application in one simple-to-install format. I remember our treasure (Belastingdienst) complained about only very few people using the Linux tax program to fill out and submit their tax return, but now I have used it I understand why; it's not a program my grandma could start (well, neither is filling out tax forms something she and most other grandma's can, but you get the idea). Maybe Autopackage or ZeroInstall is the solution, I don't know, but at this moment the package management fragmentation is a big problem. Both for the tax service and companies like VMWare and Google.

Quoting:and distro packagers world-wide will do the rest for you.

True, but and if those nice persons go on holiday or have an argument and strike you have a problem. Also, they duplicate their work dozens of times for each distro. Most of it is a waste of time. For example, in Klik (the only cross-platform package manager I 'understand') you can take a .deb file and make a Klik receipe. Than, Red Hat, Gentoo, Mandriva, OpenSuse and PCLinuxOS users can use it with a single click. That means, Red Hat, Gentoo, Mandriva, OpenSuse and PCLinuxOS package maintainers are jobless and can do something more useful than duplicating work others have done already (it goes also for .rpm's by the way). Imagine how much time could be saved to do useful things!

Quoting:Just build a source .tar.gz using any of the major build systems

If you make a Klik recipe after that, which is rather straight forward, you can put the Klik link on your site and testers don't have to wait for the distro packagers. Much more people could test (since Klik enables to install multiple versions) much faster. Also, if people can report problems directly to the developer instead of to their distro team. It's far easier for the developer, since he doesn't have to wonder about if it's a distro packaging problem or a bug he created. So it's a better way of bug fixing as well.

Indeed package managers take care of everything, but they present a unnecessary layer of complexity / waiting which is prone to errors. Totally needless in my opinion and a waste of time. Those people should concentrate on making a simple uniform way of installing apps, and that way has to work with Skype, Picasa, VMWare, AdobePhotoshop trial under Wine (something you can distribute using Klik) and Free Software. Of course, it's easier for packagers if people only use Free Software. But people just ask for Skype, Photoshop etc., and if Linux doesn't provide it, they simply won't use it.