Announcement: One Click Installer

[Kevin Fries]

On Mon, 2007-08-06 at 13:03 -0600, Conrad Knauer wrote:
> On 8/6/07, Krzysztof Lichota <krzysiek at lichota.net> wrote:
> 
> > I would like to share with you the project I have been working for some
> > time now which I think could help solving bug #1.
> >
> > The problem:
> > - Users coming from Windows (and in general beginners) want installation
> > of applications to be as easy as possible. Download, Next, Next, Done
> > kind of experience.
> 
> Individual DEB files installed with Gdebi provide this sort of thing
> currently (e.g. try  http://www.getdeb.net/)

Or even better:

http://digg.com/linux_unix/Ubuntu_Install_applications_from_Internet_with_a_single_click?t=7711876

This solution works first of all within the existing distribution tools,
and second without trying to turn Linux into Windows.  We all know how
well the first Windows turned out, and the OP does not get that point.
People are seeking something better than Windows.  Many will tell you
otherwise, but when pushed, I think overall satisfaction with Windows is
right up their with the cell phone companies... Nobody is happy, but
don't feel that Linux or Mac are realistic choices...  Resolving that
misconception about the usability of Linux is how we solve Bug #1.

Bug #1 is NOT, and I can not emphasize this enough, _NOT_ going to get
fixed by offering the same old broken solution.  Many of the problem
with the Windows environment is caused by their software installation
process (beyond the scope of this thread).  The article above in my
opinion offers the hope of a better solution, though this cookie is not
completely baked.  It allows users to seek better solutions in the
forums, where they are more likely to be looking for one.  It allows
software distribution and support to be integrated, so that support
leads to solution.  This is not the same old broken system.  It also
encourages uses to discuss these things in forums, where developers can
get a getter indication of what people are looking for.  There are lots
of wins here.

I would love to see a similar setup for the repositories also.  However,
we need to proceed with caution here.  If a user has to maintain too
many repositories in order to get all their software, that becomes more
difficult than anything on the market now.  Imagine Oracle maintains
their own repository, so does google, so does apache, etc.  Having a few
repositories actually decreases problems.  Look at the Fedora
situation... different sets of repositories that are incompatible with
one another.  If we really want to move backwards on bug #1, lets
encourage lots and lots of people to go out and build their own
repositories without some sort of approval process.

Just my thoughts on this matter.

-- 
Kevin Fries
Senior Linux Engineer
Computer and Communications Technologies, Inc.
a division of Japan Communications, Inc.
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