wok diff 0install/description.txt @ rev 20989
updated gource (0.38 -> 0.49)
author | Hans-G?nter Theisgen |
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date | Thu Mar 07 15:37:16 2019 +0100 (2019-03-07) |
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1.1 --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 1.2 +++ b/0install/description.txt Thu Mar 07 15:37:16 2019 +0100 1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ 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.