Why some say "rpm hell"

[Chris Murphy]

On Nov 22, 2013, at 2:59 PM, Joe Zeff <joe at zeff.us> wrote:

> On 11/22/2013 01:41 PM, Chris Murphy wrote:
>> Not really. Do you think you can functionally operate any package installer without reading its manual, once you've learned any other package manager?
> 
> That depends.  Are you referring to the CLI or the GUI version?

From a developer standpoint, the CLI matters as the guts of the packaging methodology affects them the most. From the user standpoint, it's a fair point you make, that a GUI abstracts the user from this. So in that sense, continuing the analogy, it may be the case the users are able to get along OK driving fundamentally different cars, but their mechanics are only going to work on specific car types.

But I feel that making things easier for developers is also good for users. But, case in point, Apple's packaging method gives me fits also, but fortunately as a user I don't have to use it, and even as a developer there are very robust GUI tools that abstract much of the work from me as well. So it really is a lot about the available tools.

However, there's the non-insignificant problem of "no packaged libraries" on most linux distros, which then breaks packages even on distros that use the same packaging method. And that sort of philosophy is more hostile to developers than to users, but as developers pick and choose where they develop, it has the effect of limiting user choice.


Chris Murphy