The thing is, system based package managers require discipline, especially from library authors. Even in the web world, it’s really distressing when you see a minor library is already on its 15 iteration in less that 5 years.

I was trying to build just (the task runner) on Debian 12 and it was impossible. It kept complaining about rust version, then some libraries shenanigans. It is way easier to build Emacs and ffmpeg.

▲

ajross 5 days ago | parent [-]

Indeed, it seems insane that we're pining for the days of autotools, configure scripts and the cleanly inspectable dependency structure.

But... We absolutely are.

▲

kalaksi 5 days ago | parent [-]

Disagree. And why wouldn't dep structure be cleanly inspectable.

	▲	ajross 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		Decades ago, you'd type "configure" and be told you need to install libfoobar version 9, and you would, and it would work. Now you get npm whining at you about an unsatisfiable dependency cycle because some three-level-removed transitive dependency you've never heard of put a hard lock file in that reference a version that got pulled for a security flaw.