Packaging is the Worst Way to Distribute Software, Except for Everything Else

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Presented at URES 2014 by

Ryan Mckern

Reliably distributing software is a notoriously difficult problem, and almost every operating system and programming language vendor has tried to solve it. This has led to a herd of packaging systems, almost none of which are cross-compatible; some manage system-level software, while others focus on extending their own language (often by trampling on system-level software). And like all competing standards, every packaging system comes with its own sharp corners, dull edges, and hidden idiosyncrasies to deal with along the path to packaging happiness. In an attempt to answer the question "How do I install this software and ensure that its dependencies are fulfilled?", some novel solutions have begun to see popular adoption. But a lot of these newer tools and techniques tread the same ground as their predecessors while overlooking the lessons that were learned along the way.