[Lazarus] cross-distro (and OS) app installation - what would you like?

[George Lober]

Graeme Geldenhuys wrote:
> George Lober wrote:
>   
>> that is easy to use by the average joe computer user whatever the 
>> platform is. It is an idea to cater to the end user and the software 
>> developer, and not some OSS or other status quo.
>>
>> Considering what the task is, it is understandable a large focus is on 
>> the Linux side of things because of the multitude of distros to target, 
>> and their associated different ways of doing things.
>>     
>
>
> 100% correct on both counts!
>
> Windows and Mac has it easy, because there is one governing body and a lot
> more standardized. Everybody keeps going on about how easy it is to install
> software on Windows or Mac. So yes, my idea of a new software installer
> might be more focused at Linux issue at this point in time, because that is
> where the most problems lie. The average Joe simply doesn't know how to
> install software on Linux and they hate the command prompt.
>
>   

A few years back, I myself was looking around to see if there was a user 
friendly Windows type, all-distro Linux installer available anywhere, in 
the same sense of what you are trying to do, and came up with nothing. 
The few that caught my eye were very basic, and not workable with closed 
source commercial software.
 
   http://developer.berlios.de/projects/fixinst/
   http://autopackage.org/

I don't think these would fit your requirements. I mention these for 
curiosity's sake only.

Besides the deployment issues, another thing that discourages me from 
writing software for Linux is the virtual non existence of anti-cracking 
software.