[contrarian1234]

Can someone involved with packaging help me understand why dependency management and system configuration are integrated and not separate things entirely?

For instance, if I "install" LXQT on Ubuntu LTS, it's going to not only install all the dependency libraries (and the dependencies' dependencies) as well as all the relevant executables.. but it's also going to go around and change a bunch of configurations so that when I boot LXQT boots instead of whatever I used before.

Why would it not make sense to have installing libraries/executables and their dependencies be decoupled from all the twiddling config files and setting up the spiderweb of userland processes?

[bayindirh]

> it's also going to go around and change a bunch of configurations so that when I boot LXQT boots instead of whatever I used before.

This because you left the alternative in "auto" mode, or the installed package called update-alternatives and changed the config forcibly.

Debian doesn't change alternatives during package installations without consulting to you if there's a TTY attached. Installing vim doesn't change "editor" to vim, or installing most doesn't change "pager" to most (unless the configs are in auto mode and the package you installed has a higher priority on that alternative list).

Also, when working with apt(itude), the changes are visibly done, saying that "update-alternatives: x has changed to new_program (auto)" or something similar.

So nothing is hidden from you, and why apt has a rolling log so you can review things even after it's completed.

[everforward]

It's mostly about user intent. If you install the LXQT binaries on Ubuntu, you probably intend to use LXQT as your DE. It makes sense to set that up for you.

There's also an accessibility aspect. Novice users are likely to struggle with setting up the configs, so auto-configuring the packages makes them more accessible to novices. Wanting to install a package without configuring it is a poweruser kind of request; it makes sense to require poweruser knowledge to get a poweruser install, rather than making poweruser-style installs the default.

Fwiw, I believe most package managers can be told to not run their configuration steps if you really want that.

[b112]

This isn't true.

debconf plus update-alternatives plus display manager login menus means configs are sticky.

There are rare exceptions, but unless Ubuntu is very strange, deviating fron Debian significantly (and stupidly), what you're saying doesn't happen.

And it is separate. The package manager is calling update alternatives. It's not some ad hock wild west.

You're either asked, or alternatively no change is made.