skype for Linux UBUNTU

[H.S.]

Giuseppe Fuggiano wrote:
> 2009/1/20 H.S. <hs.samix at gmail.com>:
>> Please correct me if I am wrong here. While installing a deb package,
>> checks for the necessary dependencies before the actual installation
>> occurs are performed and error messages are given regarding missing or
>> conflicting dependencies. More info here:
>> http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/ch-pkg_basics.en.html
>>
>> Thus installing from a dep package is thus *not* the Windows way!
>>
>>
>> Regards.
> 
> It's still the Windows way because you *cannot be sure* if the
> necessary deps for a non supported package are in the supported
> repository.
> 
> Regards.
> 

I guess one could argue about this. When I said that it is not the same
thing, what I had in mind was:
1. Installation of a deb package gives an error if a dependency is not
satisfied.
2. The installation process also gives warnings and errors if there are
conflicts between various dependencies coming with the package.
3. Installation from a deb packages also installs some configuration
files (done using registry items in Windows?)? Purging that package
takes the conf files with it, no clutter left behind. I have had
terrible times with the registry clutter left behind in Windows.
4. Once installed from deb package, newer versions are a breeze to
install that upgrade the previous installation. In Windows, I recall
having to first uninstall the previous version to get a newer clean one.
5. There are many tools available to make deb packages from one's source
code in a very systematic manner, which in turn leads to rock solid
package management based on the Debian Package Manager. This
reliability, IMHO, is the main reason Canonical chose debs over rpms.
These tools are the basic factors which leads to rock solid
installations, clean purges and avoid conflicts in various packages and
libraries. I am not aware of such a tool in Windows.

These are only a few things I recall from the top of my head. Regarding
skype installation, note that there are actually three different ways to
go about it. Usu medibuntu repos (preferable I guess), use a static
binary (from Skype) or a dynamically linked binary from Skype (but this
requires other dependencies to have been already installed), all
available as deb packages.

However, I am not a Windows expert. If Windows applications'
installation from exe files takes care of the points I mentioned above,
that will narrow the distinction between the two processes, I suppose.

Regards.
-- 

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