how to install software locally?

[Hugo Heden]

On 10/22/07, Fajar Priyanto <fajarpri at cbn.net.id> wrote:
> On Monday 22 October 2007 08:00:49 Santanu Chatterjee wrote:
> > Hi everybody,
> >
> > Is there a way to install software locally using apt?
> > More specifically, I have a normal user account (not root)
> > on a computer, and I want to install some software in my
> > home directory. Is it possible to do so using apt?
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your response.
>
> As normal user you CAN'T install software using apt. But, you can "install"
> software in your home dir as long as the software is a binary file/script
> that can be run without having to write any files/library outside your home
> dir.

To me this is an issue.

I wish there was some good and smart way and standard conforming way
for users without sudo privileges to install deb-software within the
users' $HOME. This would be useful on Linux-systems within computer
halls in universities or whatever.

Any unmet dependencies could also be installed under $HOME. The "base
system" would not need to know. Of course, there is probably a million
problems with this, or else this would already be possible, right? For
example:

Say that the user could install the Opera Browser, and its unmet
dependencies within $HOME, using apt-get (or something similar). What
would/should happen if the system administrator would later install
Opera Browser in the "base system"? Would there be any conflicts, and
how should they be resolved?

I should probably have a look at projects like cnr.com and klik[0].
And glick[1].

Best regards

Hugo Heden

[0] http://klik.atekon.de/ (server down?)
[1] http://blogs.gnome.org/alexl/2007/08/07/experiments-with-runtime-less-app-bundles/