29 Jun
2006
29 Jun
'06
6:40 a.m.
On Thu, Jun 29, 2006 at 09:20:11AM +0100, tim hall wrote:
actually compiling it from source shouldn't be
particularly
complicated. I know there is a psychological brick wall around package
building
Problems with users trying to compile source code (on debian):
- It is often necessary to install certain -dev packages first. At the
same time, it is rarely obvious to a user that a missing -dev package
is the reason for it not compiling.
- Mixing package-managed programs and manually-compiled programs gets
messy. E.g. If the user compiles/installs from source, and then
finally a proper package becomes available. It is not straightforward
to cleanly upgrade from the self-compiled version to the packaged
version.
Problems with developers trying to maintain packages:
- Too many package formats.
- Too complicated package formats.
But developers should (I think) take on the responsibility to make
things easier for users.
--
Ryan Heise
http://www.ryanheise.com/