[card_zero]

Linux. I think it's necessary to abandon Windows, but to quote from a Q&A on distrowatch:

> Linux distributions try to provide everything you need in one central collection (called a repository). Windows and macOS users are accustomed to browsing the web, looking for applications, clicking a download link, and running an installer. With Linux we skip all of that. We can open the software centre (or "app store") and find just about anything we need.

Well, I hate that. We were accustomed to downloading some indie dev's binary, but now every platform has an app store, and this is apparently Linux's fault for starting the trend. I don't like package managers, I don't like auto-updates (I'll update next year maybe, is how I want it). I don't like installations and dependencies. In my dream world there could be, like, five or even six standard libraries, and they're all backward-compatible and you keep them up to date manually. I don't like file permissions, Sudo, and the multi-user paradigm. (It's just my computer and permissions shouldn't be a question.) I don't like the folder structure (/usr/, /bin/, /usr/bin/, /etc/). I don't like that there's a home folder: everywhere on my computer should be my home folder.

I'm investigating flatpaks to see if they can soothe my griping. But the first thing I see when I visit flathub is "Flathub is the app store for Linux". That's unpleasant. Who runs it, why? (Who runs any repo, and why?) The site lags. You can apparently set up your own flatpak repo, but isn't it allowed to just provide users with a flatpak file of your own program for download from your site? Just as if it was a more or less portable binary that you could unzip into whatever folder, and run it with high probability of it working, like how things used to be on Windows and Classic Mac. If flatpaks can do that, maybe I'll welcome Linux (back) into my life. Or maybe I want to use ReactOS really so I can pretend it's still the year 2000.

[d3Xt3r]

Perhaps you'll like AppImages instead: they're standalone binary bundles, that any indie dev can host on their website (or have it on their github or whatever). You don't need to "install" it via some store or something, don't need to worry about dependencies - just download a single file and run it.

Also, if you hate sudo and messing with permissions etc, there's EasyOS - in fact it addresses most of the complaints you've raised, so probably worth checking out: https://easyos.org/about/how-and-why-easyos-is-different.htm...

[card_zero]

Right, but flatpak de-duplicates dependencies, while appimages are all going to be unnecessarily huge, I think/assume?

Hey, EasyOS might be OK. Top tip.

[shubb]

Take a Damm Small Linux. Package manager (apt) optional.

I do think a lot of what you are rejecting (automatic updates, centralised package signing, permissions) are solutions to security problems that you might actually have.

[card_zero]

I don't think security problems should cause these systemic problems. Damn Small, you say? I'll check it out.