Native dependency cache

With respect to all the targeted users of linux, not at all. I would prefer to use linux for all of my stuff, but unfortunately, as a USER, I find most of the stuff I want to use needs some sort of emulation layer. I wish either (a) it didn't need that layer, or (b) I could *buy* a version that works on Linux.

I'd like to see far more software available for linux, but actually it's probably this LACK of a stable API (real or perceived) that puts vendors off packaging their stuff for linux, and it's all the assortment of distros that don't help. Can I build a binary, and copy it between distros, and have a reasonable expectation it will "just work" (tm)? Or do I have to run Red Hat, because that's the only thing that works?

When I was on the LSB, my biggest frustration was that all the emphasis was on enabling the distro to tell an application what the distro provided. Completely arse-about-face imho. What I wanted was a mechanism whereby the APPLICATION told the distro what it wanted! What it needed the distro to supply. Without that, it doesn't matter HOW good your distro is at managing all these assorted libraries, the application is going to vendor the lot because they can't tell whether the distro provides it or not. Dynamic linking is irrelevant if the application installs everything "to make sure I've actually got it".

There's far too much linux guys thinking they're doing the world a favour. The world is only too happy to look this gift horse in the mouth, because they can't see how it solves *their* problems. And as bluca said (in a completely different context, but) this gift horse eats too much hay for too little perceived benefit.

Cheers,
Wol