Re: "Install here" : why Linux doesn't do it?
 

You say that as if it was a good thing. In effect we're going back to 2005 (the /var/lib/install situation) only worse (PATH bloat, no external interpreters, libs etc allowed) and it still doesn't do what the OP wants. Technically it's a bit more FHS-compliant, so I guess it's alright then.

Re: "Install here" : why Linux doesn't do it?
 

i'll try to remember that one for the next time i need to reflash my N900, thanx

Re: "Install here" : why Linux doesn't do it?
 

The fact that package separation is being thought about *is* a good thing. Whether the way they are doing it is the *best* way of going about it, is a different story entirely (on a side note, the external interpreters/libs/etc issue has nothing to do with the dir/file layout of the packages).

Re: "Install here" : why Linux doesn't do it?
 

I don't see why. At the end of the day (partitioning SNAFUs aside) nobody cares if the angry birds binary lives in /usr/bin, somewhere under /opt or anywhere else, since all user interaction with it is just launching it and that's done via its .desktop file. On the other hand I really wouldn't like having, say, an /opt/openssh/usr/bin/ssh that looks for its known_hosts file in ~/.config/ssh/, an
/opt/rsync/usr/bin/rsync that calls that and both present in my $PATH and being search every time I type a command. My mileage obviously varies but I like to think of my boxen as integrated systems rather than receptacles for independent self-contained apps.

Strictly speaking perhaps not, but if every external lib has to go to its own special directory under /opt then packaging anything that uses those is going to be a pain in the neck and the library search path is going to be long and slow to traverse. I guess it's much easier to sweep these problems under the carpet by making a policy that forbids external dependencies.

Re: "Install here" : why Linux doesn't do it?
 

Not to mention the extra work packagers would have to handle for each and every package.

Specially considering that the very reason this thread exists is because some packager couldn't use the theoretically _fully automated_ optification tool. Add in more weirdness (changing sysconfdir?) and the number of packages that do not bother at all will increase exponentially.

Re: "Install here" : why Linux doesn't do it?
 

Which part of dpkg --help are you having trouble with sir? (same for apt-get / aptitude)

You can even install man-db-n900 and man-db-pages so you can do man dpkg for even more information.

Read. Understand. The freedom you desire already exists. This doesn't mean it's always a good idea - just like rm -rf / as root is not a good idea - nothing stops you from doing it though - and this is a good thing! Seriously. I wouldn't want it any other way.