wok diff 0install/description.txt @ rev 20989

updated gource (0.38 -> 0.49)
author Hans-G?nter Theisgen
date Thu Mar 07 15:37:16 2019 +0100 (2019-03-07)
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     1.2 +++ b/0install/description.txt	Thu Mar 07 15:37:16 2019 +0100
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     1.4 +Zero Install is a decentralised cross-distribution software installation system
     1.5 +available under the LGPL. It allows software developers to publish programs
     1.6 +directly from their own web-sites, while supporting features familiar from
     1.7 +centralised distribution repositories such as shared libraries, automatic
     1.8 +updates and digital signatures. It is intended to complement, rather than
     1.9 +replace, the operating system's package management. 0install packages never
    1.10 +interfere with those provided by the distribution.
    1.11 +
    1.12 +0install does not define a new packaging format; unmodified tarballs or zip
    1.13 +archives can be used. Instead, it defines an XML metadata format to describe
    1.14 +these packages and the dependencies between them. A single metadata file can be
    1.15 +used on multiple platforms (e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, Mac OS X and
    1.16 +Windows), assuming binary or source archives are available that work on those
    1.17 +systems.
    1.18 +
    1.19 +0install also has some interesting features not often found in traditional
    1.20 +package managers. For example, while it will share libraries whenever possible,
    1.21 +it can always install multiple versions of a package in parallel when there are
    1.22 +conflicting requirements. Installation is always side-effect-free (each package
    1.23 +is unpacked to its own directory and will not touch shared directories such as
    1.24 +/usr/bin), making it ideal for use with sandboxing technologies and
    1.25 +virtualisation.
    1.26 +
    1.27 +The XML file describing the program's requirements can also be included in a
    1.28 +source-code repository, allowing full dependency handling for unreleased
    1.29 +developer versions. For example, a user can clone a Git repository and build
    1.30 +and test the program, automatically downloading newer versions of libraries
    1.31 +where necessary, without interfering with the versions of those libraries
    1.32 +installed by their distribution, which continue to be used for other software.
    1.33 +
    1.34 +See [the 0install.net web-site](http://0install.net/) for full details.