Open Source Mac - Free, Open-Source software for OS X

[Rick Gigger]

Jordan K. Hubbard wrote:
> 
> On May 30, 2007, at 9:40 AM, paul beard wrote:
> 
>> I'm getting a sense that people who use double-clickable installers 
>> are somehow not "our sort of people." Goodness knows we can always use 
>> more snobbery ;-)  
> 
> I wouldn't argue that at all.  I would instead argue that MacPorts is 
> simply not READY to serve people who use double-clickable installers.  
>  That has always been a design goal of MacPorts, but it's not there 
> yet.  It has a ways to go.  It doesn't even know how many of its ports 
> even build at a given time yet, much less have them all packaged up and 
> ready to double click on. :-)

I would agree with that.  I would say that once you have a binary 
repository, and a very, very easy to use gui installer, then and only 
then, is it going to be ready for the average user.  Normal people look 
at the command line like it's some sort of arcane magic.  Normal people 
don't want to take half an hour to compile mozilla from source rather 
than taking 2 minutes to download it.

If you were installing binaries, and if you had a nice gui, to handle 
not only installing the software but also to handle seamlessly keeping 
it up to date, then I think it would be a GREAT tool for your average 
user.  Until then they are going to stick to installing via drag and 
drop .app folders.