‫Contemporary distributions of Linux based operating systems install software in pre compiled packages,
‫which are archives that contain binaries of software configuration files and information about dependencies.
‫But beyond that, package management tools keep track of updates and upgrades so that the user doesn't
‫have to hunt down information about bug and security fixes, for instance.
‫So without package management, users must ensure that all of the required dependencies for a piece
‫of software are installed and up to date.
‫Compile the software from the source code, which takes time, introduces a compiler based variations
‫from system to system.
‫And manage configuration for each piece of software.
‫Now, maybe if you're getting paid by the hour, that sounds like a great job to have.
‫However, I want to demonstrate that the features that are included in most package management applications,
‫these will give you some luxuries.
‫For instance, package downloading.
‫Operating system projects provide package repositories, which allow users to download their packages
‫from a single, trusted provider.
‫So when you download from a package manager, the software can be authenticated and will remain in the
‫repository even if the original source becomes unreliable.
‫Dependency resolution packages contain metadata, which provides information about what other files
‫are required by each respective package.
‫So this allows programs to rely on common shared libraries, reducing bulk and allowing the operating
‫system to manage updates to the packages.
‫A standard binary package format.
‫So packages are uniformly prepared across the system to make installation easier.
‫While some distributions share format, compatibility issues between similarly formatted packages for
‫different operating systems can.
‫And by can, I mean, will know.
‫But anyway, can and by that, I mean will occur.
‫Common insulation and configuration locations.
‫Linux distribution developers often have conventions for how applications are configured and the layout
‫of files in the slash Etsy slash and slash Etsy slash init.d directories.
‫So by using packages, distros are able to enforce a single standard.
‫Quality control.
‫Operating system developers use the package process to test and ensure that the software is stable and
‫free of bugs that might affect product quality and that the software doesn't cause the system to become
‫unstable.
‫The subjective judgments and the community standards that guide packaging and package management also
‫guide the field and stability of a given system.