Linux is fairly psychotic under the hood, but the idea of a centralized package repository (almost like an “app store” of some kind) is fairly compelling and the dominant implementations are excellent.Īnd then we have Windows. Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux take three very different approaches to this problem, with OSX being almost indisputably the most sane.
Two, it should allow the user to completely reverse (almost) any installation at will, in a straightforward and again consistent fashion. One, it should allow a developer to smoothly install their application onto any compatible system, exposing a UI that is consistent across every installation. An installer technology should facilitate two basic tasks. Let’s recap on the subject of installers.
Why is Installer such a poorly designed, difficult to use, and generally infuriating piece of software? I believe practically every single team at Microsoft works with it, and that even major applications like Office, Visual Studio, and Windows Update are using it. It is technology which literally every single Windows user interacts with, frequently. It’s as close to the heart of Windows as any developer tool gets. I find Windows Installer to be truly baffling.
