Hi all,
Well, I have tried installing packages on Linux
- Copying over tarballs,
- RPM through command line
- RPM through GUI (old version; broke often)
and on Solaris:
- Copying over tarballs,
- Installing through package manager
- Installing through self-extracting zips (YUK!!!!)
- Installing through a Java applet
and on Windows:
- Copying over zipfiles
- Installing through installshield & rebooting
- Installing through a Java applet & rebooting
I think my favourite for a general application (ie non-system stuff) would
have to be the Java applets. OK, they start off slowly but at least you can
see what they are going to do (use the source, Luke), they don't have to run
full screen and you can always go back and manually copy the stuff over if
you want to.
And they uninstall cleanly.
I think the full-screen installshield method beloved of 'doze apps sucks
majorly.
The major problem with tarballs/zipfiles is they don't end up in the package
managers' view of the world and uninstalling them can be a hassle.
One installation I played with (some Sun stuff) had the choice: You could
install using the command line package manager (pkgadd, a la apt-get), you
could install using the GUI admintool, or you could run the applet on the CD
which put up a pretty picture and gave you options in a GUI (running a java
applet).
Anyone installing Hummingbird Exceed on PCs will know about this style of
installation, too ('cept you have to reboot afterwards).
At least you get the choice!
As for old commercial software not being supported on Linux, well so what?
Those who need the software will continue to use it on legacy machines. I
don't see that commercial software running on Linux means that "all old
software we ever wrote will continue to be supported on all operating
systems". It was closed source stuff; that means if the company no longer
supports it, you can't have it. Try buying a brand new VK Commodore.
I think /. gets carried away with itself sometimes...
Cheers,
Jill.
--
Jill Rowling, Snr Des. Eng. & Unix System Administrator
Elec. Eng. Dept, Aristocrat Technologies Australia
3rd Floor, 77 Dunning Ave Rosebery NSW 2018
Phone: (02) 9697-4484 Fax: (02) 9663-1412 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Rubbish may follow:
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