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Comment by hosay123 | Hacker News Reader

> you install a package with apt, it pulls in all dependencies, and it Just Works

And what happens in the case of a package not available through apt? ("Sorcery! All applications must be packaged! All shared libraries must be packaged individually!")

And there went your afternoon installing some just-slightly-uncommon piece of software

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Then you fall back to this 'superior' individual packaging method. I don't see how this is a counter.

If you packaging partisans manage to convince developers of the merits of your position, the individual packaging method won't be easily available: it'll be "wait for the OS maintainers to decide to include the newer version" or "make; make test; make install" (i.e., be your own packager).

Or you set up pkgsrc under /opt or /usr/pkg or some such, and use that for the software where you want newer versions than your distro provides.

The developers are still free to package it themselves and distribute installers as .deb, .rpm ETC. If they have a dependency not available in your package manager (or to old a version), they can either also send you that, or have you add their PPA. The only significant problem I see is that their is a fragmented market of packaging systems, which makes it difficult for individual developers to target everyone. Of course *.tar.gz is a good universal installer for when someone doesn't use a major package manager.

We "packaging partisans" are just saying we find classical packaging superior to the every-piece-of-software-on-its-own model, not that the latter isn't an OK fallback if there is no package.

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