Hunter Peress wrote:
Here is the solution: UML, user mode linux (it lets
you run an
complet emulation of linux inside your own linux box).
While I'm not opposed to someone doing this, it's a pretty nonstandard
way of doing things, isn't it?
So: instead of telling people they need php 4.3.2 and
apache 2.0.48
with this and that compile option (a combination which might not be
available to some distros), simply: use dd to create a running image
that people can run right off the bat (they could probably use the
thing that lets you run linux inside windows as well...).
Hmmm, I think a better approach (meaning, more mainstream in the *nix
world) would be to examine to what degree we do have unnecessary
dependence on particular versions of this, that, and the other.
And then work to make sure someone can download, untar, configure,
make, make test, make install and have it be likely that everything
would work.
If you're talking about having a standalone reader, then Magnus's work
seems like the right way to go with that.
But if you're talking about having an easy-to-install full version of
MediaWiki, well, it *is* a website, not a standalone app, and so
there's going to *have* to be some work for the end user in terms of
making sure that the prerequisites are installed.
--Jimbo