RE: Windows and DLLs

["Wesley Felter" <wesf cs utexas edu>]

> Basically ld, the dynamic linker, has a configuration file that
> tells it where
> to find libraries.  These directories contain the actual
> libraries and symlinks
> to the newest version.  The actual library is the .so file, i'm
> not sure what .a
> and .la files are.  By adding files to ld.so.conf or
> LD_LIBRARY_PATH you can put
> new directories into your library path, like /usr/local/lib or ~/my_libs.
>
> Make sense?

Yes, although it doesn't answer my question. I think it's OK that libraries
have to go in certain directories, because most shared libraries will be
preinstalled (and it probably wouldn't be too terrible if applications
statically linked every non-preinstalled library (I'm assuming that GNOME
will be preinstalled by most distros)).

My question is about applications. Why can't I download a binary of some
random app (let's say the GIMP), un{tar,zip} it into my home directory,
double-click in in my filemanager, and have it just work? Or can they
already do that? (At this point I must confess that I haven't been able to
get GNOME to build, so this is a theoretical question...)

Wesley Felter - wesf@cs.utexas.edu
"There's somethin' wrong with my MTV; every time I turn it on I don't see
me."
--The Uninvited, "Mega Multi Media Hero"