Talk:Software distribution

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This page is really going crazy..now the vendors are at the top...PIK —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.238.4.161 (talk) 13:41, 6 November 2007 (UTC)



I find this page has some problems. The closest definition I have found for what in my opinion is the definition of software distribution is present in Kit (computer slang), from the Computing Dictionary, already present in Wikipedia. Also Software_build is closed to the argument, but I think that there are build that never turn into a distribution (for sure those that fail ;-)). The term Linux Distribution has influenced the perception of the term "software distribution", anyway the linux dist is just one kind of software distribution.


what is written here is really bad and mix some concepts.

A software distribution is a bundle of a specific software (or a collection of multiple, even an entire operating system), already compiled and configured. .

Bundle is Perl-style term, I believe. A collection would be better. Specific is not clear to me.

Already compiled and configured is not true might be already compiled and might contain the sources. Is tipical at Apache Software Foundation to have source and binary distributions of each software project.

It is generally the closest thing to a turnkey form of a usually GPL or open source source code for a software.

I think the software distribution concept is not centered on the ease of use, also if is true that many linux distribution have bet on this. It is true anyway that for open source projects usually the Binary Distribution is the the easiest way to have a project run, easier than compiling the Source Distribution.

It usually takes the form of either rpm, deb, tgz, msi, exe etc. installer and is downloadable from the Internet. Examples range from whole operating system distributions to server and interpreter distributions (for example WAMP installers).

This looks like is talking more about an installer than a distribution. An installer is probably a way to have a binary distribution run. BTW Any program can be distributed.

This is more appropriate, in my opinion:

Software Distribution: A collection of files, extensions and bundles, all distributed together. From [1]

Other proposal:

Software Distribution: a way in which a software is distributed.**


Then a reference to Kit (computer slang) would be nice. to have Also the simliarity with a Software Distributable and with a Software Relase could be pointed out.

An other similiar concept is Software Deployment and Software Configuration to which seem to refer 100% of the links cited. That list is a SHAME and should be removed.

GNU Autotools are tools for building a distribution, a better place for them could be in Build Automation, if they ever should be cited at all.

distutils The distutils package provides support for building and installing additional modules into a Python installation again here we are more in the realm of install and building, not distribute.

The Mobile Device stuff is just....to be removed'

So resuming:

For me the definition in [2] is okay.

  * Distribution: A collection of files, extensions and bundles, all distributed together.

also if it depends on bundle an extensions..that is not clear what are...so may be is better the other one:

  * Software Distribution: a way in which a software is distributed.


  • Sub concepts are tipically
  - Binary distribution (wiki missing)
  - Source distribution (wiki missing)
  - Kit (computer slang)
  • Super concepts are:
  - Software Release (each release can have different distributions, this is related also to commercial apects)
  • Contribute in create a distribution:
  - Software_build (some build never turn in a distribution)
  - Build_Automation
  • Similar concepts
  - Software Redistributable
  - [[Redistribution of software (the action of distribution that has some legal implications related to Software License)
    - Freely redistributable software
    - Electronic Software Distribution
  - Software Deployment
  • Different concepts
  - Distribution Software
  - Parallel processing 
    - Distributed Software (here is the software application to be designed as able to run distributed on different computers)
    - Distributed Computing (here is (maybe) the algorithms used to solve the problems that are parallelizable)


The list of companies is a shame, products are in most cases not related. I already said I cannot understand how one can think of making a good advertisement of its company with these shameless plugs. In my opinion Must be removed.


So I hope to see some comments. Thanks. Michele

I agree with all of the above, except that I would more generally say that this article just shouldn't exist because it's about a concept that doesn't really exist. In the lead, the author is definitely thinking of a "Linux distribution" which is really just an idiosyncratic term the Linux community uses for operating system. Later paragraphs clearly refer to something other than what the first paragraph defines, especially where it describes using autotools in a distribution of source code.
I just don't think there's anything to save here. Information in the article should go in various articles on the respective topics.
A software distribution is just a distribution of software. There's not much coherent that you can say about that topic.
Bryan Henderson (talk) 07:47, 11 February 2008 (UTC)