|
|
Subscribe / Log in / New account

Multiarch?

Multiarch?

Posted Jan 5, 2011 0:03 UTC (Wed) by ikm (guest, #493)
In reply to: Multiarch? by cmccabe
Parent article: Free Software: the road to a Universal bundle, a powerful app store, and world domination (Free Software Magazine)

> in the fat-binaries debate, I just can't understand why the pro side is all about

This was discussed before. The most useful application of fat binaries are shared libraries, where one shared library can be simultaneously used for both 32 and 64-bit apps. This simplifies filesystem layout and life in general considerably (no need to mess with separate library paths, separate library sets etc).


to post comments

Multiarch?

Posted Jan 5, 2011 0:13 UTC (Wed) by cmccabe (guest, #60281) [Link] (3 responses)

> This was discussed before. The most useful application of fat binaries are
> shared libraries, where one shared library can be simultaneously used for
> both 32 and 64-bit apps. This simplifies filesystem layout and life in
> general considerably (no need to mess with separate library paths,
> separate library sets etc).

Why does having a simple filesystem layout matter? Non-technical users never see the filesystem layout on the rootfs.

This is just a lapse in elementary logic. It's like saying:

Elvis Presley ate fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Elvis Presley was a famous musician. Therefore, eating fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches will make you a famous musician.

Apple has fat binaries. Apple has a great user experience and a strong brand. Therefore, fat binaries will give you a great user experience and a strong brand.

Only one problem: it's illogical. Eating fried sandwiches will just make you a fat slob, not a famous musician. Moving around paths on the rootfs will mean absolutely nothing to non-technical users, who often don't even know what a shared library *is*, let alone the difference between /usr/lib and /lib64. Just ask any Android user-- paths on the rootfs have nothing to do with the user experience.

Multiarch?

Posted Jan 5, 2011 8:37 UTC (Wed) by ikm (guest, #493) [Link] (2 responses)

> Why does having a simple filesystem layout matter?

Because it makes life so much easier.

> Apple has fat binaries. Apple has a great user experience and a strong brand. Therefore, fat binaries will give you a great user experience and a strong brand.

No one has ever said this here except you.

Multiarch?

Posted Jan 5, 2011 21:21 UTC (Wed) by JEDIDIAH (guest, #14504) [Link] (1 responses)

>> Why does having a simple filesystem layout matter?
>
> Because it makes life so much easier.

No it doesn't. It's just like the analogy about the fat binaries.

>> Apple has fat binaries. Apple has a great user experience
>> and a strong brand. Therefore, fat binaries will give you a
>> great user experience and a strong brand.
>
> No one has ever said this here except you.

Well, this idea of yours had to come from somewhere. I don't
see it coming from actual Linux software management from the
last 10 years. No. It sounds like you are attempting to use
ideas and propaganda from another OS without any consideration
for what's already there.

These details are completely invisible to a desktop user of a
Unix system and are mostly invisible even to a shell user. That's
why I can pop open a terminal and type "sc3u" and it will work as
desired.

Some of us "users" don't want our "user experience" to suffer just
because some people latch onto really misguided ideas.

Multiarch?

Posted Jan 6, 2011 7:07 UTC (Thu) by ikm (guest, #493) [Link]

No more food for you.


Copyright © 2025, Eklektix, Inc.
Comments and public postings are copyrighted by their creators.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds