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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Package format wars daydream (self.linux)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by ransomwarelettuce to c/[email protected]

13 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Just saw a post of a novice user asking why are there so many package managers.

At first I was about to copy and paste the good old "The OS is yours if you want to make a different package manager you can, and many did".

But then I though

Damn how does Linux have standards !?

And reached a somewhat of conclusion that many of the established standards were established at the early stages of the project, there are of course those who change like the transition from X11 to Wayland the upcoming desktop portals and such.

And here is my hipotesis if the GNU project came up with a good and easy to work package manager in the early days of Linux, do you think we would have so many different ones? Maybe even win the desktop war (OS not DEs)?

Edit: replace package manager with packaging format

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

xkcd: Standards
one of the most unappreciated aspects of any package manager is how they handle dependency resolution – the modern formats (Flatpak, Snap, AppImage) “solve” the problem by completely ignoring it altogether and just shoving everything-and-the-kitchen-sink into one blob – which works great as long as storage remains cheap or you’re not trying to develop for embedded systems
GNU has a package manager – and it’s being used in a current distro
GNU development tends to be glacial even compared to something like Debian – the GNU kernel is 33 years old at this point …

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Flatpak uses runtimes, which is sorta a middle point between traditional package way and and bundling everything. Quite a nice compromise imo

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

doesnt guix use the guix package manager?

Shoutout to the guix package manager, its really cool!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

had to doublecheck myself …

yes, Guix uses the Guix package manager
but apparently the Guix package manager is built off (at least the concept) of Stow ?
[and then some people also seem to like using Stow and Guix together (similar to using Home Manager with Nix package manager)]

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Interresting. I didnt know it was using stow somewhere! Btw there is a guix home since last year, that works similar to nix home manager.