[merlijn_s]

With the flatpack integration, Builder really has the potential to become the Xcode for Linux.

I hope that Ubuntu starts to support Builder. Ubuntu tried something similar with qtcreator and the Ubuntu sdk, but that was a really bad experience. Let's hope that the switch to Gnome also means that Ubuntu switch their efforts to Builder.

[dcgudeman]

I hope so, but honestly I feel like they are trying to keep it too general. I was looking at some of the critical components like Glade (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glade_Interface_Designer) and noticed this: Glade is programming language–independent, and does not produce code for events, but rather an XML file that is then used with an appropriate binding (such as GtkAda for use with the Ada programming language)

Maybe Ada is more popular than I know, but I would think it's more valuable to spend time making the development process better for C++ devs (or w/e) than build a system so general that it can support Ada.

[rjzzleep]

flatpack solves a deployment/distribution issue. distribution is irrelevant when you have nothing to distribute.

[merlijn_s]

The biggest issue is the distribution.

One of the devs of the Minecraft Windows 10 edition said that it would be trivial to port that to desktop Linux but they would have to set up their own payment and distribution system, which just isn't worth it for that tiny market.

Having packaging and distribution built into an IDE goes a great length to solve that issue.

[voltagex_]

Except they could throw it on to Steam for Linux - it's a business decision not to put it on there and let Valve take 30%.