Too much choice

I think these are all great points.  Package frameworks are highly evolved, while package
developers are talented and invaluable.

The current package system is great for core components and for tight integration.  Where
there is a problem yet to be solved is with end-user applications which are not (yet) core
components of the distro.  Plenty of developers write end-user software that is an endpoint in
the dependency graph.  These developers want to reach as many new users as possible, so it
would be great if they could trivially distribute software on the major distros.  (Again,
dependencies are only one issue: boot scripts, on-line documentation, iptables, inetd, cron,
and other components must also be dealt with.)

Much free software is built with Autotools to make its *source* portable on many platforms.
But at the other end, it's not so easy to turn compiled binaries into packages for each distro
and architecture.  Ideally, end-user software could be distributed in "good enough"
wizard-built packages that allow people to try the software out.  If it looks like something
is the new killer app, and Distro X decides to bundle it in their distro, then at that point
they can work on their custom packages, ideally in cooperation with the upstream developer.
It's all free software, of course!