Application installation is the big thing holding Linux back

[Malachi151]

There are so many articles these days about why Linux can or cannot take over the desktop, etc., but to me it all comes down to how applications are installed, and I don't see how it could ever truly change in Linux. The "problem" is fundamental to the way Linux works.

What makes Windows so easy to use is that the directory structure is free and simple, and there is basically nothing to application "installation". (You don't really even have to install applications, you can just easily run the "exe" file).

With Windows the power is with the executable itself, the operating system basically gives executables fully control.

With Linux this isn't the case, which is both the good and the bad of Linux. Yes, it is a part of what makes it more secure, but by the same token it makes installation and running of applications a pain in the ass.

I can just write any application for Windows right now on my machine, compile the binary int a single executable, or if its more complicated create an msi file or an Install Shield (or similar kind) if installation executable and put it out on the net and as soon as its out there anyone can easily download it and install it.

This can't happen with Linux, and thus this is a major stumbling block.

The openness of the Windows system is a part of its security problems, but by the same token its what makes it easier to use.

Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, SuSE, etc., have worked around this a bit with their install assistants and the repositories and pre-installing so much stuff, but having to rely on this is a pain in the butt and limits your freedom. The irony is that the open source system limits your freedom to install applications more than the closed source one does.

[bigtomrodney]

What you have just posted shows a lack of understanding and research into the benefits of a Unix like system. It basically says that Linux would be better as a Windows clone or by introducing some of its fundamental flaws into Linux.

Thanks but anyone who has used Linux for more than a passing moment would happily choose package management over Windows style installation tools. Your first mistake however was assuming we all want to switch the world to Linux. Don't believe the spin.

I'm going to lock this. It has been discussed numerous times before and usually ends with the original poster under a landslide of negative responses.