I have to get this off of my chest. Firstly, yes I am a big Linux fan because it’s the only operating system I’ve used that offers configuration down to the anal retentive levels I prefer. But sometimes Linux makes me want to scream. Installing from source is one of those times.So I like to use Ubuntu desktop because it is a LOT easier to use than any other Linux distro I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a number of them). In general, installations are a breeze because I can open up Synaptic Package Manager and search for the program I want (and 9 times out of 10 it’s in the repositories). But on occasion the software I want is not in Ubuntu’s repositories (nor any of the “universe”, “please don’t go here”, “you will die if you use this” repositories I’ve enabled). So I am forced to use the old fashioned methods. This is where recursive masochism begins. I’m sure many of you Linux fanboys have suffered this scenario:
- Download source files.
- Attempt compilation…discover you need some additional library first.
- Find dependency on the Internets, attempt compilation…discover you need some additional library first.
- Find second dependency on the Internets, attempt compilation…discover you need some additional library first.
- Find third dependency on the Internets, attempt compilation…discover you need some additional library first.
- Find fourth dependency on the Internets, attempt compilation…it works.
- Attempt compilation of third dependency…discover you need some additional library first.
- Find fifth dependency on the Internets, attempt compilation…it works.
- Attempt compilation of…”Where the &$#% was I??”…
- Attempt compilation of originally desired software…discover that their *&%# compile script has an error in it.
- Realize that you just wasted the last 6 hours of your life (as well as about 500 MB of hard drive space).
- Pray to the Linux gods that some pioneering soul has written a tutorial for installing your desired software in Ubuntu, and that said tutorial will work for your machine.
Com’on, Linux developers! You can’t honestly make fun of Windows developers when they figured out user friendly software installation years ago, but in 2009 you guys are still swimming in dependency hell.And for those wondering about all the bleeped out 4 letter words in this post…it takes a lot to make me swear. Linux’s dependency hell can bring that out in me.Ok, I feel better now. 🙂