Every linux app seems to have a different procedure for installing it. Why can't it just be like in windows or OSX where you hit install and then a nice icon shows up for you?
why is it so difficult to install apps on linux?
- Thread starter dpopiz
- Start date
- Jan 2, 2006
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cleverhandle
Diamond Member
- Dec 17, 2001
- 3,566
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Actually, it's usually much easier than Windows or OSX. Your distro's package tool (usually yum or apt) should already be configured to use a repository of packages. Select the package and it downloads and configures it. Unless you need a piece of software that's not provided by your distro, you should not be going to the software package's homepage and downloading from there. This is fundamentally different from the way Windows and OSX work.
Red Squirrel
No Lifer
Yeah thats one thing keeping me away from linux as a desktop OS. software installation is a PIA. Ex: It took me months of research to get VMware server to run. In windows, its next next next done. There seems to be some apps that even require to install kernel sources(thats one of them), and that's quite the proceedure. Some simply want these weird packages that you need to run all over and try to get to install. apt-get is nice... assuming what you want to install is "official". If its a 3rd party app like some UPS software or something, good luck since apt-get cant have every software possible, listed.
The best was trying to install the Acronis True Image Server agent on a linux box..... never got that to work. In windows it takes literlaly 30 seconds.
The best was trying to install the Acronis True Image Server agent on a linux box..... never got that to work. In windows it takes literlaly 30 seconds.
kamper
Diamond Member
- Mar 18, 2003
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Like the others said: use a package manager, it's way easier. If you are dealing with something that's not in a repository, you can blame it on
1) the fact that linux is a moving target (in many different places at the same time!) so people packaging the software might make up their own way which only works on certain systems or revert to the basics (a shell script and lots of manual work) to make sure that it can be installed on as many systems as possible... or
2) the developers are just too lazy to figure out the standards for linux installations, because there are some.
1) the fact that linux is a moving target (in many different places at the same time!) so people packaging the software might make up their own way which only works on certain systems or revert to the basics (a shell script and lots of manual work) to make sure that it can be installed on as many systems as possible... or
2) the developers are just too lazy to figure out the standards for linux installations, because there are some.
I don't know about others, but I find it much easier to type "apt-get install" then to go to the software homepage, download it, run it, click next, i agree, next, next, next, and finish.
cleverhandle
Diamond Member
- Dec 17, 2001
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It took me about 20 minutes.
Of course they do, they have to compile a kernel module. If you understand what the system is doing, it should be evident why having kernel headers or sources is necessary. It's only confusing if you're blindly following someone else's directions and hoping they'll work.
On Ubuntu, apt-get install linux-headers-686. On FC5, yum install kernel-devel. Quite the procedure...
The important difference between us is not that I've been using the system longer (though I have). It's that when you hit a problem, you blame the system. When I hit a problem, I blame myself.
Red Squirrel
No Lifer
Actually there was way more to yum install kernel-devel. That was one step though there was this whole proceedure with matching a number from uname with a number in a repository then untaring the file, installing all the depandancies for it etc..... basically the minute it worked I imaged the server so I dont have to go through that again if the HDD was to fail at that moment. Must of had 20 tabs opened in firefox with google searches, etc.
Going from Windows/OSX to Linux is hard at 1st but if you can get through the basic you will love linux :! but it requires some learning :!
Ubuntu comes with Gdebi which is a gui for installing deb files. So basically double-click on a deb and it'll bring up a box with a button to Install. But its easiest to just type "apt-get install <package name>" so it'll handle all the dependencies.
And with SLED/openSUSE if you double-click on an rpm it'll bring up the zen installer, but you can install via rug or (my favorite package manager) smart to handle any dependencies.
Well can Linux install more than one program at once?
I was trying to install 2 things at the same time on Win XP last night. Could I? No. I had to wait for one to complete before I could install the second program.
I was trying to install 2 things at the same time on Win XP last night. Could I? No. I had to wait for one to complete before I could install the second program.
Nothinman
Elite Member
- Sep 14, 2001
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Because when you download something from their page they usually expect you to compile it from source which isn't something you should be doing anyway, stick with what your distribution packages for you and you'll be much happier.
No offense but you shouldn't be using yourself as an example here, I've seen the way you misread documentation and don't listen when people try to help you. VMware is a little more complicated than normal, but only in that you need to run 'apt-get install linux-headers`uname -r`' before vmware-configure will be able to compile their modules for you.
No they don't, you only need the kernel sources if you actually want to compile the kernel. Things like VMWare, nVidia drivers, etc only need the kernel headers to compile against and in Debian and Ubuntu that's as simple as the one command I listed above.
Then use standard UPS software like apcupsd or NUT or complain to your 3rd party manufacturer about how bad their software sucks because the Linux community can't do anything about that.
I was going to download the TrueImage server trial and see how badly you exaggerated the instructions, but I don't feel like registering with them just to see their software since I'll never use it anyway.
No, they should make more free software that can be integrated better into the official repositories.
No, if you try to install more than one MSI at a time it'll complain and stop you. Hell if another installation has pending file operations (renames, deletes, etc scheduled for reboot) a lot of the time you'll have to reboot before you install anything else.
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