ISVs have a problem supporting GNU/Linux: the multitude of Linux distributions and their packaging systems. While the LSB helps opening Linux distributions to ISVs by defining the library paths and a single file system hierarchy, there is no such thing for the packaging system. This makes installation of “alien” software a hard task. Both for the customer and the ISV. The first breaks his packaging system since now there are files in his file hierarchy that are not maintained by this database and hence could cause trouble. Additionally, the information about dependencies is not integrated into this system. The ISV on the other hand has to cope with a bunch of packaging systems he has to support or risking that he misses out some business opportunities. But help is here, on the Packaging Summit there has been a push for a LSB package API that should avoid all these hassle without forcing the distributors to abandon their current systems. It should spawn the basic information (files installed, dependencies) into the packaging system even if an ISV uses his own installation routines. This sounds too good to be true? Perhaps, but it’s a start into the right direction: freeing the users from the firm grasp of their distributors. The original article can be found here.