Re: implemented features (Re: Decision time....)

[Bob Bagwill <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:07:11 -0700, Dave Hayes wrote:
> Notwithstanding my claim above, I am actually curious as to what the
> accepted definition of "a good installer" and "a good package management
> system" really is. 

A good package management system is safe and doesn't require the user to be an expert
at package management systems. You should be able to install a package without breaking
anything else, and de-install it without breaking anything else.  Ideally, you should be
able to have multiple versions of the same package (with its dependencies) installed
so you can test and compare them, so you can revert to the earlier version if necessary.

A good installer needs at least two modes, one with handholding for the inexperienced user, and
one that lets an experienced user do an install/update as efficiently as possible. They're not
mutually exclusive.  Livecd's with optional GUI's let you offer both.