[plug] Easy Installation: Linux Desktop Market

[John Knight]

> >
> > Well, If someone is encouraging people to install software via tarballs 
>or
> > non .deb schemes on a debian system, its plainly bad advice. It means 
>that
> > the packager doesnt understand the file system anymore, and cant make
> > "informed" decisions about dependancy management. Its a recipe for tears
> > later down the track.
> >
> > So yeah, I'd call out folks for giving that advice, its bad and wrong
> > advice. But not I said it wasnt banworthy. I agree thats draconian.
>
>I disagree. I install a number of things from src, purely because I
>can't get the latest version in a deb, or it depends on library's from
>unstable and I don't want to get them, or I want the package optimised
>for my architecture (amd64). I think you should not install library's
>from src, but installing a package that other packages shouldn't
>depend on, is no problem IMHO.
>
>For example, I run the svn version of Gajim, I have installed
>cinelerra, thoggen, lmms, kismet, and a list of other things, all from
>src. This is where /usr/local comes in handy. And when debian/ubuntu
>finally releases the latest version of something I've installed from
>src, a simple 'make uninstall' removes my version, and allows the new
>version to work fine!
>
>If you are careful, then I think you can install src into any system
>with a package management system no problems!
>
>Tim

My sentiments exactly. I simply have to dismiss the MPlayer debs and several 
others for being crippled in comparison to the source. This is generally due 
to licensing issues, which is understandable, but I need to keep abreast of 
new xine and MPlayer features (and so on), and repositories versions are 
simply too old and crippled.