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As a very long time Linux user distributions which I find intriguing are the ones using the "Nix" package manager. Nix describes itself as a "purely functional

As a very long time Linux user distributions which I find intriguing are the ones using the "Nix" package manager. Nix describes itself as a "purely functional" package manager. As I understand it you don't need to have admin rights to install package (something I always found very, very odd since 20 years or so with both .rpm and .deb based distros: why the heck do I need to be admin to install packages that basically only one user is ever going to use?). With Nix you can also install simultaneously several version of the same package (even for a single user if I understand it correctly). I really wish something like that would one day "catch up" in the Linux world and see what gives. By the way this is in no way a harsh criticism of Debian or anything: I'm a "20-years long" Linux desktop user and a "Debian die-hard" fan :) But I find the concept behind Nix really intriguing and apparently there are regular releases.

rlpb 13y ago
> why the heck do I need to be admin to install packages This is being solved in mainstream distributions by adding another layer of abstraction, instead of trying to do within "traditional" userspace. We're rapidly moving towards a multi-VM model (be it full virtualisation or LXC) where all users "have root" inside their own containers. Not being able to install the packages you want isn't an issue when you can quickly and easily create a VM or container and do it in there, all within your existing userspace privileges on the host system. It's no longer about who has root on a particular machine. It's now just a distinction between who manages a system and who uses that system. If you want to manage a system instead of just using it, you can achieve that by having your own entire system by spawning a container or VM, rather than just being limited to your home directory. The cost in disk space is negligible in today's terms. The cost of memory in a VM is still significant, but LXC eliminates that issue.

rlpb 13y ago

> why the heck do I need to be admin to install packages This is being solved in mainstream distributions by adding another layer of abstraction, instead of trying to do within "traditional" userspace. We're rapidly moving towards a multi-VM model (be it full virtualisation or LXC) where all users "have root" inside their own containers. Not being able to install the packages you want isn't an issue when you can quickly and easily create a VM or container and do it in there, all within your existing userspace privileges on the host system. It's no longer about who has root on a particular machine. It's now just a distinction between who manages a system and who uses that system. If you want to manage a system instead of just using it, you can achieve that by having your own entire system by spawning a container or VM, rather than just being limited to your home directory. The cost in disk space is negligible in today's terms. The cost of memory in a VM is still significant, but LXC eliminates that issue.