I'm trying to wrap my head around the concept of packages in Linux. Why do applications need to be packaged in the first place? What else is included in these packages beyond just the application itself? Also, I've noticed that the way packages are handled varies between different distributions like Debian and Arch. Can anyone break it down for me?
1 Answer
Packages contain not just the application binary but also a list of its dependencies, which are other packages needed for the app to run correctly. While there are some differences in how various Linux distributions package software, at their core, they serve the same purpose: to simplify installation and management of applications. For example, the package manager on your system will alert you if you try to install software that requires a desktop environment, but you're trying to do it on a headless server setup.
That's a great point! Plus, depending on the distro, you might find different versions of libraries or configurations, which is why some programs might not work on all distributions right away.