At my first look, GoboLinux is trying to simulate a filesystem layout such as MS Windows layout with Program Files, Windows folder etc. So any reason that we need a such layout in Linux system? In the Gobol futur e we will have a Linux system with MS Windows file system layout? Correct me if i'm wrong.
Windows' "Program Files", "Windows", etc... directories are without a doubt easier to manage than the legacy Unix /bin, /sbin, /lib, /etc and so on. In that sense, Microsoft did OK. However, any similarity between the GoboLinux and Windows hierarchies is purely coincidental :) Outside of "Program Files", there is almost no similarity whatsoever.
You are wrong ;)
"Programs" is there to organize programs (instead of having them in a database, e.g. rpm or dpkg), hence "the filesystem is the package manager". It's purely choosen for functionality, not to mimic another operating system, be it MS Windows or Mac OS X. And while at it, the name was choosen to be more descriptive, i.e. "Programs", instead of using cryptic (for *nix novices) names like /bin and /etc.
There is no Windows folder as far as I know. :) Maybe you mean the "System" folder? That's also there because of functionality, and the same thoughts are behind the name as for "Programs"
With a simple change of symlink you can change versions (almost) as instantly.
I hope future gobo versions will extend this idea and bring it to its "full potential".
The windows situation however is a COMPLETE mess. I used to think both are very
similar but the biggest problem with the windows is that IT HAS PROBLEMS.
Two reallife examples i think are problematic:
"Programme" vs "Program Files"
Programme is the german version, Program Files the english. On my german windows version
I infact have programs that want to install in /Program Files whereas everything else is under
/Programme. Yes, this is minor, yes this can be fixed manually, rather easily but it still is a
hugely conceptual problem for me who thinks that a huge company could manage to deliver
the best quality. The most simple solution is to use a VARIABLE that pinpoints to the
directory. What for does windows carry such a huge and unweildy registry if these things
cannot be solved easily by other programmers, no matter what language he uses ... :)
The bigger problem i personally see is that many programs want to install into stupid directories like
/Programme/InterSoft/Fallout 2
I dont like to have the company name there. Yes it can be fixed, yes it is rather simple to fix,
but it simply annoys me. The Gobolinux way is much more elegant and practical IMHO.
I however agree with you - the windows approach is not bad at all. If I as a "stupid" user click
on a install .exe the program gets installed into an "appdir". This is a GREAT thing.
The whole linux world has still not understood it that this is great. (The linux world is a bit
stupid, the package situation is a huge mess and the big distributions do not want any
change at all..)
BTW i hate it that there are some directories on windows which you can not remove easily.
There are workarounds, but i simply hate it!
I love rm -rf :)
And that windows does not have easy symlinks (junctions are not as useful) is also
problematic.
I just would wish the whole Linux world would evolve better, they seem to stay so
1970....