this post was submitted on 03 May 2024
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I'm literally trying to get into Linux and one of the first things was installing software, which involves copying and running random bits of code from whatever website has the highest search result. I would say a lot of software is running code you have no idea what it does.
I ask this with full sincerity - are you unaware of the package manager?
He has a point tho. The amount of copy pasting random shit from the internet into the console is way too comon if you go down the rabbit hole on some issues with the system and find a solution on some abandoned by god itself linux forum. To be fair its usualy just a comand that does shit for you in 5 seconds so you dont have to use gui buuut it does happen and i can tell what this stuff does but the average user likley dosent . Alghtough it might be less common today. Its been quite a long time since i last broke my system.
I mean, I never do that without downloading the script and reading it. I also read makepkg files. It doesn't take that much to validate these things
He wasn't say you personally do it. He even said that he knows what the commands do, most of the time, but that the average person does not. Especially beginners to Linux, who are more prone to break their system and be on forum rabbit holes to try and fix it.
In much the way I am aware of the Windows store: I avoid it and work to get the software directly from the source. I regularly run into the issue of software not being there or being of unknown version.
Perhaps that is some bias from Windows following me over.
That is definitely your Windows bias haunting you. Package managers are the way to get software on your Linux distro. Going straight to the source has it's place, but for 95% of use cases, you should be using your package manager.
That is not the way things work on Linux - the repos essentially are the source. It is intended for apps to be packaged and distributed through official repos precisely to avoid the issues you listed, which are more often issues of downloading from sites. Package managers take care of incompatible versions and conflicts. That's definitely a Windows bias my friend :P
Ok but imagine if Microsoft got altruistic and made the Windows store to be as helpful as possible and not as a marketing or user control scheme. That’s the package manager in Linux.
Wait, are you setting up PPAs? If you're using a user-friendly distro, either flathub should be enabled by default or the AUR is easily accessible with pamac or the chaotic-AUR. If software availability is a problem, I don't know what to tell you; I think you started with a more difficult distribution than you intended to. PPAs suck.
You're doing it wrong. Get it from your package manager lol
Lol