Any distro developers here? I just want to float an idea with a couple folks before throwing it out publicly - I'm sure this has been thunked before, but I'd like to see the libre unix software ecosystem move forward on this. Firstly, witness the glory of /opt : $ tree /opt -L 3 /opt ├── bin │ ├── eclipse -> ../e/eclipse/eclipse │ ├── libreoffice -> ../l/libreoffice/program/soffice │ ├── lo -> libreoffice │ ├── pg -> ../p/pg/pg # hypothetical │ ├── soffice -> libreoffice │ └── vuze -> ../v/vuze/latest/vuze/vuze ├── e │ ├── eclipse -> eclipse-4.6 │ ├── eclipse-4.6 │ │ ├── artifacts.xml │ │ ├── configuration │ │ ├── eclipse │ │ ├── icon.xpm │ │ ├── plugins │ │ └── readme │ └── eclipse-themes ├── l │ ├── libreoffice -> libreoffice5.2 │ ├── libreoffice4.8 │ │ ├── CREDITS.fodt │ │ ├── help │ │ └── program │ └── libreoffice5.2 │ ├── CREDITS.fodt │ ├── help │ ├── LICENSE │ ├── LICENSE.html │ ├── presets │ ├── program │ └── share ├── p │ └── pg -> postgresql └── v └── vuze ├── 5600 └── latest -> 5600 So we see this particular /opt/bin is a (admittedly small in my personal example) symlink farm, pointing out to various versions of various installed software. Also, it is structured like a Debian style package pool, with directories {a..z} to contain the various (manually in this case) installed software. With just a smattering of /etc/.. based meta files, .deb meta files and tool awareness, a distro could install all software in this form - say into /usr/a/.. /usr/b/.. etc., and /usr/lib, /usr/bin and /usr/share become symlink farms. The primary benefits I see are: - simple multiple versions install of same software/ library/ etc - different software can easily depend on different versions of other software/ library/ etc, since everything can easily be parallel installed - existing Unixy standards can be more easily maintained (/bin /usr /lib) with symlink farms - end user can much more easily maintain their own custom /opt/bin to override version preferences rather than learning arcane per distro package incantations Main problems: - it's a partially new install/ FHS system (though a multi-year transition shouldn't be particularly painful afaict) - really needs to become part of FHS, and therefore cross-distro - therefore needs buy-in from >1 distro, or at least a non-intrusive transition plan/ capability Does anyone foresee any other particular problems with this concept?