[packagekit] AppInstall: Suggestion for application management with Listaller

[Anders F Björklund]

Matthias Klumpp wrote:

> So, that's it. I would like to have optional support for Listaller,
> because the API changes a lot at time and I'd need some time to  
> change a
> few things in Listaller to make it depend on AppInstall. If we have
> Listaller support in KPackageKit, we would have one frontend to  
> manage all
> apps on the system and one tool to manage everything software- 
> related. (Of
> course I would drop the current LI frontends)
> What do you think?

Or you could just "wrap" the applications into backend-specific  
packages,
and use the regular install/uninstall procedure to avoid having two  
sets.

If you want Listaller to support both types, then it makes sense to  
have two
backends there (one PackageKit, one setup.exe-runner) instead of vice- 
versa.


At least that is how it works in Zero Install, where you can install  
from
both archives and packages. Where using the packages invokes PackageKit:

http://0install.net/howitworks.html
http://0install.net/distribution-integration.html

Of course, using packages also breaks two of the main Zero Install  
goals:

* Anyone can install software (PackageKit requires authentication)
* Anyone can distribute software (PackageKit requires distributions)
* Automatic updates
* Good security

--anders