Re: spatial stuff detail

[John Siracusa <siracusa mindspring com>]

On Sep 21, 2003, at 11:30 AM, Mike Hearn wrote:
> On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 02:39:57 -0400, Sir Arik Devens scribed thus:
> > Installing new programs is one of the least new-user-friendly aspects
> > of Linux right now, and application-as-directory packing would make
> > this problem disappear.
>
> See http://autopackage.org/faq.html, about 3/4 of the way down, the
> question entitled "What's wrong with NeXT style appfolders?"

I see it, but I don't agree with it.  First, Linux is no more 
"pluggable" than any Unix-ish OS, including OS X (i.e. both have 
loadable kernel modules, file system plugins, shared libraries, etc.).  
Second, dependency management is a red herring.  It can be done with 
application packages just as it is done without them. You need 
something to check/track this information whether or not you use app 
packages, so it is not an argument against them.  Ditto for 
install/uninstall logic.  App wrappers are not a panacea, but they are 
too useful not to have.   Despite the "update" at the end of that FAQ 
item, many (possibly "most") OS X applications remain simple 
drag-installs.  Giving up this feature entirely because some software 
is not well suited to drag-installs is throwing out the baby with  the 
bath water.

-John