For all that, I have to say I think BJH is right… Sabayon is as close to a “concept distro” as you’ll find. Of course, it’s produced and maintained as I said such a thing would be.

This analogy is bloody brilliant.

I’ve been thinking for a long time about alternatives or projects that would give a ‘well defined shape’ to Linux distros. First, one need to understand the importance of diversity and how everything works in the Linux world…
I came whit some conclusions:
If one want to see Linux grown, one needs to see that every OS needs a well defined concept, so there could be a standard on installing applications (of course rpm doesn’t apply), and yet it wouldn’t mean the ABOLITION OF DIVERSITY… If i or Y distro wants to use this or that other installation method, then linux makes it possible in an easy way, but no matter what, there will ever be this standard installation method that makes everything easier.
Let’s understand something: if people like me are so interested in a GOOD standard installer, is NOT BECAUSE WE ARE WINDOWS FANBOYS, but because we understand that having solid standards will preserve linux diversity and yet make it _ATTRACTIVE_ to ISV and users of all kinds.

Observing on the differents apps installation (or distribution) methods, i realize that the best way to do it are application bundles (yes, like OS X .app), the concept is simple, but it could be improved… The basic anatomy of these app bundles would be the same of apps directories (like in GoboLinux: /Programs/MyApp/3.0/bin), the more obvious difference is that apps bundles are only ONE FILE.
Of course, one could integrate this bundles to the system, so they can use shared libs an so.

GoboLinux filesystem hierarchy could not like to everyone, and thats OK, we only have to look to the “/Programs” anatomy, it’s not any like Windows or even OS X i think, it’s TRANSPARENT, FLEXIBLE AND EASY, yet secure and advanced.

If there would be a ‘Concept Distro’ i would delete the ‘../bin’ (and such) dirs floating among the whole FSH; i mean, i understand the function of /bin /sbin /usr/bin or /usr/sbin, but non-server distros needs anything more?
Talking about modern desktop distros, there is really needed dirs like /usr/local/bin?
Seriously, if there is an important reason, i will shut my mouth.

In short: my vision is having standards, communication and collaboration between distros, in order to not be ‘owned’ by diversity, but yet supporting all kind of diversity.
- Promote the “/Programs” concept.
- The extension of XDG Base Directory Specification.
- The implementation of application bundles as a standard (in Users Application distribution).
- The creation of a ‘Graphic Framework’ integrated by the greatest 2D and 3D solutions, like Cairo, in order to make them WORK TOGETHER and bring to light something very solid and in constant evolution, that would make developers happy.
- Better Graphic Toolkits, like GTK and QT (the previous point have A LOT of influence in this).
- Promote the use of ~/.Settings and ~/Library dirs to separate the actual DOT FILES in those that are only configuration files and those that are apps data (maybe one want to delete all his config files without delete other apps data… ~/.mozilla will be ~/Library/mozilla and ~/.vmware will be in ~/.Settings/vmware)… Otherwise use just ~/Library by replacing the old ‘dot files’ (whit some exceptions, like ~/.Trash)… And try to make developers follow that specification.

Sorry for my long comment and thank you for reading… I hope hope some people share my vision.