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My impression of github since switching to Linux (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by Alk@lemmy.world to c/linuxmemes@lemmy.world
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I've been transitioning to Linux recently and have been forced to use github a lot when I hadn't much before. Here is my assessment.

Every github project is named something like dbutils, Jason's cool photo picker, or jibbly, and was forked from an abandoned project called EHT-sh (acronym meaning unknown) originally made by frederick lumberg, forked and owned by boops_snoops and actively maintained by Xxweeb-lord69xX.

There are either 3 lines of documentation and no releases page, or a 15 page long readme with weekly releases for the last 15 years and nothing in between. It is either for linux, windows, or both. If it's for windows, they will not specify what platforms it runs on. If it's for Linux, there's a 50% chance there are no releases and 2 lines of commands showing how to build it (which doesn't work on your distro), but don't worry because your distro has it prepackaged 1 version out of date and it magically appears on flatpak only after you've installed it by other means. Everything is written in python2. It is illegal to release anything for Mac OS on github.

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[-] BlackLaZoR@fedia.io 101 points 3 months ago

Wait until you install some package and then scratch your head not knowing how to run it.

[-] SanicHegehog@lemm.ee 44 points 3 months ago

Then think “I’ll figure it out later” but you never do. Only to be reminded of it a month later when you happen to see it scroll by in an apt-or-whatever package upgrade.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I should check that thing out again” you think to yourself. But you never do. Repeat for eternity.

[-] Darohan@lemmy.zip 38 points 3 months ago

Helix Editor did this to me. They have so much documentation on their site about how to use the editor, how to extend it, theme it, etc., etc. What they didn't seem to document, though, is that the binary is named hx, not helix :/

[-] pmc@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 3 months ago

When I'm confused like that, I check https://packages.debian.org and open the file list for the package. That way I know what binaries are installed.

[-] logi@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

There is also a dpkg command for that. Grep it for /bin/ and you've got your executable.

[-] Darohan@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 months ago

Ooh, I'll keep that in mind for next time, thanks!

[-] Ephera@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 months ago

The fun part is that as a dev, you don't really know that either. It's just the file name of the executable. Anyone can rename that.
And even if it's not renamed, you still don't know, if your users need to call it with just hx or with ./hx or some other path.

Obviously, you should mention somewhere that the executable is likely called hx, but because that requires an explanation, there's certainly a tendency to not mention it very often...

[-] HouseWolf@lemm.ee 11 points 3 months ago

Devs who make the -h command actually useful are modern day saints.

[-] UnityDevice@startrek.website 5 points 3 months ago

I think they meant you don't know what the binary is called because it doesn't match the package name. I usually list the package files to see what it put in /use/bin in such cases.

[-] NostraDavid@programming.dev -2 points 3 months ago

If I install a package, I don't even know what it installed and/or where.

I can't believe Linux can't even tell you what it installed where - even Windows can do that.

[-] ReveredOxygen@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 months ago

Most package managers have a way to list all the files a package will install

this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2024
447 points (94.6% liked)

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