Linux and application installing

[Matthew Miller]

On Tue, Sep 07, 2010 at 12:23:47PM -0400, James Antill wrote:
> > This is goes along with the only definition of application that I am
> > aware of. Postifx is a system service.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software
> 
>         Application software, also known as an application, is computer
>         software designed to help the user to perform singular or
>         multiple related specific tasks.
> 
> ...which matches exctly, IMO. But if it's confusing I don't mind
> referring to this as "<otherword> installing", if you have a less
> confusing word … I'd just rather not say desktop-application+services
> +dbus-services+cron-services+etc. installing each time.

Keep reading. :)

  Application software is contrasted with system software and middleware,
  which manage and integrate a computer's capabilities, but typically do not
  directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user.

I think it's reasonable to define an MTA as system software. But yeah, let's
spell out somewhere exactly what's meant by "application".


-- 
Matthew Miller <mattdm at mattdm.org>
Senior Systems Architect -- Instructional & Research Computing Services
Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences