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It's popular for Linux distributions to have a scattered hierarchy with a package manager, but it certainly isn't a requirement. Take a look at AppImages.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
AppImages are pretty great, when they actually exist for your applications. It is exceptionally disingenuous, however, to suggest that the existence of some AppImages invalidates the file hierarchy organization problems of any distro. You might have been better to point out the existence of GoboLinux, but that is but one not very popular distro among many.
- cycloptic 6y ago
  Please do not baselessly accuse me of being "disingenuous," I'm trying to help you. If you won't use GoboLinux or ask packagers to make AppImages for the apps you want then I don't know what to say, those are solutions to your problem. If you're saying you want all other distributions to be like GoboLinux, I doubt that would happen because that comes with its own set of other problems. Edit: You can do some pretty interesting things here with Nix/Guix too although that still requires a package manager. The reason I said AppImages is because that's currently the best method that doesn't require any package manager at all.
  - AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
    > Please do not baselessly accuse me of being "disingenuous," I'm trying to help you. Help me with what exactly? Am I in need of saving for my denial of The One True UNIX Way? > If you won't use GoboLinux or ask packagers to make AppImages for the apps you want then I don't know what to say, those are solutions to your problem. There are lots of reasons I don't use GoboLinux, not the least of which is that I don't think compiling applications from source is a reasonable application distribution method in 2021. As for asking application developers to make AppImages: why do you assume that I don't? Regardless, the point is that the "Linux filesystem organization story" referred to by the parent is neither GoboLinux nor a bunch of AppImages and you are being disingenuous to pretend otherwise. It's a tired old Linux Desktop evangelism tactic roughly equivalent to "well, Linux is just a kernel...", which is to say that the argument is that what Linux Desktop (and by extension its filesystem organization) is is so ill defined that it can be whatever you want it to be -- provided you write most of it yourself, from the kernel up, like Android. However there is a clear "way things are done" for the vast, vast majority of Linux distros and that is obviously what's being talked about here.
    - cycloptic 6y ago
      I haven't "pretended otherwise" or evangelized anything, please don't make these accusations at me. I can only offer you suggestions on what to do, I'm not going to argue about what the "right" way to do is as that's simply not interesting to me. The vast majority of Linux distributions may not do things the "right" way but they also support AppImages, so use that to your advantage. If you had no success in getting upstream to make AppImages then you'll have to make them yourself. It seems that's what a lot of flatpak and snap packagers ended up doing, just my observation. To put this another way: We can sit here making the same complaints about Ubuntu and RHEL that have been made for decades, but what's the point? Let's do something about it. And if that doing something means we turn the whole system into AppImages, then... what else would you really want? It sounds like your problem would then be solved.
      - AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
        > I can only offer you suggestions on what to do, Why are you doing that? I clearly neither asked for, nor want your suggestions! That's why you come off as an evangelist.
        cycloptic 6y ago
        It seems like you were having trouble with your Linux filesystem so I'm offering solutions that I've seen or heard of. Is there something else I can offer that would work better for you, or am I misunderstanding what the complaint is? Edit: If you weren't asking for help with this that's fine, however some other interested reader may want to hear the suggestions. Feel free to ignore me.
        AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
        I am deeply concerned about your inability to understand what is happening in this thread. Let me break it down for you: - User posts that they wish Windows filesystem organization was "nice" like Linux's - I express doubt that anyone can consider Linux's filesystem organization "nice" - You start telling me about AppImages and how even though very nearly every single distro on the planet organizes files a certain way, it isn't technically required to do so. Please explain to me why you think your continued "help" and "suggestions" should be something I value? I am not "having trouble with my Linux filesystem organization", I am straight-up criticizing the way nearly every distro that exists organizes files. That's a very different thing.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago

AppImages are pretty great, when they actually exist for your applications. It is exceptionally disingenuous, however, to suggest that the existence of some AppImages invalidates the file hierarchy organization problems of any distro. You might have been better to point out the existence of GoboLinux, but that is but one not very popular distro among many.

cycloptic 6y ago
Please do not baselessly accuse me of being "disingenuous," I'm trying to help you. If you won't use GoboLinux or ask packagers to make AppImages for the apps you want then I don't know what to say, those are solutions to your problem. If you're saying you want all other distributions to be like GoboLinux, I doubt that would happen because that comes with its own set of other problems. Edit: You can do some pretty interesting things here with Nix/Guix too although that still requires a package manager. The reason I said AppImages is because that's currently the best method that doesn't require any package manager at all.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
  > Please do not baselessly accuse me of being "disingenuous," I'm trying to help you. Help me with what exactly? Am I in need of saving for my denial of The One True UNIX Way? > If you won't use GoboLinux or ask packagers to make AppImages for the apps you want then I don't know what to say, those are solutions to your problem. There are lots of reasons I don't use GoboLinux, not the least of which is that I don't think compiling applications from source is a reasonable application distribution method in 2021. As for asking application developers to make AppImages: why do you assume that I don't? Regardless, the point is that the "Linux filesystem organization story" referred to by the parent is neither GoboLinux nor a bunch of AppImages and you are being disingenuous to pretend otherwise. It's a tired old Linux Desktop evangelism tactic roughly equivalent to "well, Linux is just a kernel...", which is to say that the argument is that what Linux Desktop (and by extension its filesystem organization) is is so ill defined that it can be whatever you want it to be -- provided you write most of it yourself, from the kernel up, like Android. However there is a clear "way things are done" for the vast, vast majority of Linux distros and that is obviously what's being talked about here.
  - cycloptic 6y ago
    I haven't "pretended otherwise" or evangelized anything, please don't make these accusations at me. I can only offer you suggestions on what to do, I'm not going to argue about what the "right" way to do is as that's simply not interesting to me. The vast majority of Linux distributions may not do things the "right" way but they also support AppImages, so use that to your advantage. If you had no success in getting upstream to make AppImages then you'll have to make them yourself. It seems that's what a lot of flatpak and snap packagers ended up doing, just my observation. To put this another way: We can sit here making the same complaints about Ubuntu and RHEL that have been made for decades, but what's the point? Let's do something about it. And if that doing something means we turn the whole system into AppImages, then... what else would you really want? It sounds like your problem would then be solved.
    - AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
      > I can only offer you suggestions on what to do, Why are you doing that? I clearly neither asked for, nor want your suggestions! That's why you come off as an evangelist.
      - cycloptic 6y ago
        It seems like you were having trouble with your Linux filesystem so I'm offering solutions that I've seen or heard of. Is there something else I can offer that would work better for you, or am I misunderstanding what the complaint is? Edit: If you weren't asking for help with this that's fine, however some other interested reader may want to hear the suggestions. Feel free to ignore me.
        AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
        I am deeply concerned about your inability to understand what is happening in this thread. Let me break it down for you: - User posts that they wish Windows filesystem organization was "nice" like Linux's - I express doubt that anyone can consider Linux's filesystem organization "nice" - You start telling me about AppImages and how even though very nearly every single distro on the planet organizes files a certain way, it isn't technically required to do so. Please explain to me why you think your continued "help" and "suggestions" should be something I value? I am not "having trouble with my Linux filesystem organization", I am straight-up criticizing the way nearly every distro that exists organizes files. That's a very different thing.