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Microsoft to bring Linux APT/RPM-like application publishing platform (CoApp) to Windows
After a decade of vehement distrust for its open source cousin, Microsoft looks like it is finally ready to embrace one of the features that makes Linux and its variants so damn desirable. Speaking frankly, Garrett Serack of Open Source Development at Microsoft laments the current state of open source package management and installation on the Windows platform. It's time for things to change, he says -- and, if you're a developer or open source aficionado, the Common Opensource Application Publishing Platform (CoApp) does sound pretty damn compelling.
For the longest time, open source development has been all but locked out of the Windows platform. Sure, it's possible to compile and run open source programs on Windows, but it's hard. Where Unix variants have autoconf, make and shared libraries with standardized locations, compiling code on Windows has always felt a bit... frankenstein. Serack's new project, CoApp, seeks to remove the rigmarole of building and compiling packages on Windows. To do this, Serack outlines a list of very Linux-like features for CoApp, while still staying well within the Windows architecture paradigm -- you won't see a bunch of binaries placed in c:\usr\bin, for example.
Basically, CoApp will seek to standardize library/header locations, while tying in more 'home user' technologies like easily-installable MSI packages and Windows Error Reporting. It should be as easy, or easier, to install open source packages on Windows.
It's a brave project, but judging by the very quickly growing list of developers, CoApp itself being open source, and consecrated by Microsoft itself, we might see CoApp's debut sooner rather than later -- exciting!
Comments
7
Subscribe to commentsDaveApr 9th 2010 12:15PM
And I just got done rereading the Halloween Documents... Amazing what 12 years can do.
KarlWApr 9th 2010 2:38PM
hehe, I checked out that list and the first name I saw was rafael rivera.
Good stuff.
Sebastian AnthonyApr 9th 2010 5:01PM
The list looks great -- and has doubled in size since I wrote this story! Sweet.
SilverWaveApr 10th 2010 9:04PM
"It's a trap!"
pristy.siteApr 11th 2010 2:16PM
Why M$ needs this, they can copy what ever they want so ban this at once, soon or later there will be after they found trojans so be careful what you wish for!
StuartApr 13th 2010 4:17PM
This is exactly the right way to bring the unwashed masses to Linux and open source. Slowly introduce more and more FOSS software to their environment until they don't even notice that the last bit of M$ code has disappeared.
daveApr 19th 2010 6:34PM
Cool, I can't wait for my clients to infect their PC with malware in 1-click... sweet.