How to install brave for linux.

https://brave.com/linux/

Package Management (bad) is the reason Linux Desktop does not get more traction. Valve will build huge statically linked binaries and this may get more usage for Linux desktop.

Software is a collection of files: executables and data files. Data files can be config files and tables. To install software, you copy the right files into the right place.

1. Copy files directly.

For example, the `install` command can be used to copy files, and it does this by combining several commands into one to make them easy to use. The `install` command uses the `cp`, `chown`, `chmod`, and `strip` commands.

2. Build from source.

This is what developers do. Copy the source code files and run a makefile to compile and link the necessary files and libraries together into the right directories.

3. Use a Package Manager.

This is described below, after a discussion of dependencies.

One of the beautiful things about Linux is the way developers work as a community, building on the work of others, instead of reinventing the wheel and duplicating others’ work. This leads to dependencies among packages.

Each version of each package depends on specific versions of other packages, which also depends on other packages, resulting in a nested string of dependencies. When you upgrade to a new version of one package, you may end up having to upgrade many other packages. At any time, your packages may collectively require multiple versions of multiple packages.

This is a complex problem. Everyone is trying to simplify it.

One solution is to eliminate the dependencies.

* The Apple iPhone solved the problem by severely limiting a developer’s choices and disallowing the dependencies. All apps are written in the Objective-C language and all dependent libraries are linked in together in a monolithic executable. The user buys each app from the Apple Store, and each app is a standalone product with no dependencies. * Android copied that design. Apps must be written in a version of Java, linked into a single non-dependent executable, and sold in the Android Store. * SNAP is an attempt to bring this type of solution to all Linux distributions. (See below.)

But this solution is a cop-out and it throws the baby out with the bath water, resulting in duplicated code and inflexible development and deployment.

aka Package Management System (PMS)

Package management exists to keep track of all the dependencies. To allow a user to upgrade a software package and automatically upgrade all the dependencies appropriately.

Package managers are specific to each distribution, as shown in the following table.

For example, this is how you install the i3 package in different distributions.

$ sudo yum install i3    ====== CentOS, RHEL ======
$ sudo dnf install i3     ====== Fedora ======
$ sudo apt install i3     ====== Debian, Ubuntu ======

By the way, note that some applications consider themselves so important they need their own PMS.

Advanced Package Tool (APT)

Each package is defined by a .deb file that lists dependencies.

The lowest level command is `dpkg`.

Command `apt-get` and `apt-cache` are built on top of `dpgk`.

The `apt` command duplicates the functionality of `apt-get` and `apt-cache` with a reorganized set of commands and parameters.

Periodic maintenance of all installed software packages.

$ apt update  ====== update local database from repositories ======
$ apt upgrade  ====== upgrade all installed packages to latest version, and install packages introduced as dependencies of the new versions ======

Periodic cleanup.

$ apt autoremove  ====== removed obsolete unused packages ======
$ apt full-upgrade  ====== like upgrade plus autoremove ======

Examine repositories.

$ apt edit-sources  ====== edit /etc/apt/sources.list (list of repositories) ======
$ apt search [searchstring]  ====== search repositories and return list of packagenames ======
$ apt show [packagename]  ====== show detailed info from repository ======

Examine local machine.

$ apt list   ====== list installed packages ======

Install a single package.

$ apt install [packagename]
$ apt reinstall [packagename]  ====== same as install, evidently ======
$ apt remove [packagename]   ====== remove binaries, keep config ======
$ apt purge [packagename]   ====== remove binaries and config ======

Upgrade a single package? Cannot.