FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: "OpenSoftwareValet"

["Michael Phipps" <mphipps1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>> Think about it - why do we become control freaks (and I
>> am on my Windows machine at work and all of my machines
>> here)? Because the OS isn't capable. In a perfect OS,
>> the only files we should ever see are data files, IMHO.
>> The OS should manage our apps.
>
>The problem I'm seeing here is that quite often apps misbehave, go wrong,
>try and take over your system, etc. Like Realplayer 8 under Windows - which
>is absolutely evil - the thing puts crap everywhere. It's really the same
>problem which LewisB pointed out when he said something along the lines of
>"The one potential problem would be developers [who] assume their
>Application is SOOO usefuly they set [..] their apps show up in every
>category."
>
>From a more generalised perspective, I'm asking the question; how can an OS
>protect it's user from applications that [s]he wants to run?

The answer to this, I think, is twofold.

1) From an OS level, don't screw over the developer. Developers don't sit
in their dark caves looking for ways to be evil. (I know that this is obvious, 
but
be patient, I have a point.)  Windows developers, in many cases, are putting
things where they *have* to, to get the job done. BeOS handles this nicely -
add-ons go in ~/config/add-ons. Not in /BeOS/system32 or some awful thing.

2) Have a standard installer that is part of the OS. Build it so that it can 
put things
only where they should be. IOW - apps and data and such, in their own directory.
add-ons where they should go. Apps should not install shared libs anywhere but 
in
their own directory. *IF* the app requires a shared lib, it should ship with 
it. The
installer would then say something like:
"Foo requires lib bar. Would you rather: install a copy of lib bar fresh from 
the internet
OR use the one that shipped with foo, but not share it"

Or something like that, but less technical.