So why dont all apps have a standalone installer ?[SOLVED]

[mangizmo]

I love Mint and use it pretty much exclusively, but here's a question, I can install Microsoft Edge from a single click, infact I have kept the executable file and I have installed that browser on other machines easily, or I can just go here and install it just like a Windows app https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge?r=1, Telegram desktop and Whatsapp are similarly easy to install

So why do other apps require multiple lines of commandsl?, one mistake in syntax etc and it doesnt work (Wine, Brave etc), if its not in the software depository it can be quite a hassle to install software, why is that ? Thanks

[tenfoot]

Installing an application by entering commands into the terminal is, by and large, unnecessary unless the application does not appear in the Package manager (Synaptic) or Software Manager, both of which are installed in Linux Mint by default, or a search in Google does not return a .deb file.

[mangizmo]

Installing an application by entering commands into the terminal is, by and large, unnecessary unless the application does not appear in the Package manager (Synaptic) or Software Manager, both of which are installed in Linux Mint by default, or a search in Google does not return a .deb file.

Brilliant, just found the package manager, I use Wine ver 4.0 because it seems to work fine, I tried Ver 7 which I had problems with but it seems I could find the older version in the package manager so thats great thanks

[Cosmo.]

Even in the case, that you do not find something in the repositories (the package manager is only a frontend for it, just as a browser is not the Internet, but the frontend for it) and you have to download a DEB-file for installation, you do not have to user the terminal, so not even a single line of commands. Double click it and the graphical installer opens.

[user6c57b8]

So why dont all apps have a standalone installer ?

Well you could get a "stand-alone" installer for Software for your particular version of Mint/Ubuntu/Debian with:

Code: Select all

sudo apt --download-only install kate #using KDE advanced text editor as an example
mkdir ~/install-kate
cp /var/cache/apt/archives/*.deb ~/install-kate/
cd ~/install-kate/
echo -e "#/bin/bash\nsudo dpkg -i *.deb" > installer.sh
chmod +x installer.sh

Then when you want to install Kate (who doesn't?) go:

Code: Select all

cd ~/install-kate/
./installer.sh

[Moem]

Double click it and the graphical installer opens.

Yes! This deserves a little extra attention because it's a thing that newcomers don't always realise. Some people complain about the lack of ease when installing software on Linux, because there are no .exe files that you only have to doubleclick. But .deb files are just as easy!

The reason that not all apps have a standalone installer is that they don't need it because your OS comes with an installer... in fact, several.

[Cosmo.]

Also in Windows you do not always get an EXE-installer; sometimes it are MSI-files and you can actually compare DEB-files with MSI-files. Should be easy for Windows-user to understand.

[frivolousfootman]

The reason that not all apps have a standalone installer is that they don't need it because your OS comes with an installer... in fact, several.

That's true. Linux users enjoy saying bad words about the software, but they don't realize the valid reason for it. Professionals properly test Linux software, which is why many people use it for years.