I cannot seem to understand why when "a" (software author or whatever) releases a program or utility or whatever that it wouldn't atleast come with the libraries necessary to run it? I mean come on, having to find, download (and get the order of installing when applicable) gets to be a pain in the arse. Windows maybe whateva but when you download something 9 times out of 10 "that" file will be able to function without anything else. It may come with dlls you already have and ignores them but atleast no matter what that program will run. It gets to be annoying that you have to chase down this libxxx.so and that libxxv.so ....


seems like a lame post but you feel me i know you do. so please open my mind to this concept for i cannot do it for myself.

why wouldn't they include them?
why don't they include them?
why shouldn't they include them?

Windows is not unix

unix runs on different platforms. I see what your saying, but it's not that simple. when you get a windows program it usually says requires microsoft windows some versions, blah blah.

*nix apps can not simply say requires a unix system

And a lot of people create things for their own use and provide it as is, with the minimum documentation.

I think another reason is that linux is not "one size fits all" like windows. Sure the developer could package his/her software with all the libraries it requires but perhaps a large majority of linux users already have most of them. Installing them could cause a persons system to break...

And just packaging the libraries with the app (without installing them) would lead to EVERY package being absurdly large, wasting diskspace and internet bandwidth.

Most software sites will list on the website what is required to install something. If you don't have it, and can't be bothered to get it then don't try installing the software....

With seperate packages, you only need to download them once, not with each program which uses them, whether you already have them or not. Much better, and usually the author will link to the package developers anyway, or explain the dependancy in an FAQ.