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Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

wiki.ubuntu.com

1–10 of 34 posts

Re: Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

#2
Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!!

It's a pity, Linux on desktop could have gone way further on market share and popularity. Now, they are doing just a copy (wait for Apple to demand).

Re: Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

#3
post #2

Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!! It's a pity, Linux on desktop could have gone way further on market share and popularity. Now, they are doing just a copy (wait for Apple to demand).

> Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!!

I think you answered your own question. Package management (together with distribution policies to make those packages work together) has solved this problem for Linux already, for all software packageable by distributions, which includes pretty much everything needed to make a usable system. An "app store" just makes it easier to get one-off non-redistributable proprietary apps, which Linux historically hasn't cared much about until other OSes started to, at which point a few Linux distributions started wondering whether catering to proprietary app developers would make the system more popular. (Personally, I'd argue that apps follow platform popularity, not the other way around.)

Re: Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

#4
post #2

Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!! It's a pity, Linux on desktop could have gone way further on market share and popularity. Now, they are doing just a copy (wait for Apple to demand).

> Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!! I think you answered your own question. Package management (together with distribution policies to make those packages work together) has solved this problem for Linux already, for all software packageable by distributions, which includes pretty muc…

From my days in Ubuntu... I remember that when I was installing some programs, it was asking me for dependencies. That's not user friendly.

The App Store is user-friendly. Do you want that program? Download it! No worries of dependencies. So it doesn't matter if it's proprietary or not. It's a matter of user experience and wanting to make it easy for non-techies. They have improved a lot but it's sad they weren't the first to make that change.

Re: Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

#5
post #2

Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!! It's a pity, Linux on desktop could have gone way further on market share and popularity. Now, they are doing just a copy (wait for Apple to demand).

From memory, the Ubuntu Software Centre (under its former name) also pre-dated the App Store and variants.

Re: Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

#6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!! I think you answered your own question. Package management (together with distribution policies to make those packages work together) has solved this problem for Linux already, for all software packageable by distributions, which includes pretty muc…

From my days in Ubuntu... I remember that when I was installing some programs, it was asking me for dependencies. That's not user friendly. The App Store is user-friendly. Do you want that program? Download it! No worries of dependencies. So it doesn't matter if it's proprietary or not. It's a matter of user experience and wanting to make it easy for non-techies. They have improved a lot but it's sad they weren't the…

Huh? Longtime Ubuntu user here, I have no idea what you're talking about... Desktop Linux has plenty of problems, no need to invent new ones to complain about. Unless you were installing programs manually you shouldn't need to worry at all about dependencies on Ubuntu (or Debian).

Re: Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

#7
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!! I think you answered your own question. Package management (together with distribution policies to make those packages work together) has solved this problem for Linux already, for all software packageable by distributions, which includes pretty muc…

From my days in Ubuntu... I remember that when I was installing some programs, it was asking me for dependencies. That's not user friendly. The App Store is user-friendly. Do you want that program? Download it! No worries of dependencies. So it doesn't matter if it's proprietary or not. It's a matter of user experience and wanting to make it easy for non-techies. They have improved a lot but it's sad they weren't the…

i don't believe ubuntu has ever required users to worry about dependencies. that was solved in apt before ubuntu came into existence.

if you used synaptic to install programs, it highlighted dependencies in the GUI, but that was really just irrelevant information - there was no user interaction required other than clicking the install button on the thing you wanted.

Re: Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

#9
post #2

Someone should explain why Linux has been the latest of the big operative systems to have a user-friendly app store, when they were the first to have one with apt-get!! It's a pity, Linux on desktop could have gone way further on market share and popularity. Now, they are doing just a copy (wait for Apple to demand).

It's not about user friendlyness

it's about dev friendlyness.

in case your didn't know, your favorite appstore also has dependencies. the difference is that they bundle all libraries per OS version. Linux distros bundle per lib version (and thus per package).

but that's all up to the dev to fix, not to the user.

Re: Ubuntu tries to make publication easier for app developers

#10
Their idea of making it better is to require review before the developer is even allowed to upload a build for testing? I can't think of any other app store which requires this sort of thing; it doesn't actually solve any problem. Malicious users can claim to be whoever they want, and I can't imagine unauthorized package ports are a serious problem.

If you're trying to make something simple, remove really stupid steps. This is my problem with open source communities, they end out trying to make something theoretically perfect, but realistically unusable.

(A better solution: if the reviewer has any doubts they can ask for clarification.)

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