> Is it that impossible to have an application or utility that has all the
> steps on a visual interface? I can't imagine so, I remember being able to
> make simple enough batch files in MS-DOS in the late eighties, these files
> could handle batch jobs such as Formatting, labeling and copying certain
> files. Of course it is possible that I am completely off base here, but
> isn't the process for installing software under linux (compiling,
> installing and 'make clean') really a batch process?

Unfortunetly thats what the RPM was supposed to do. (sigh)
But there is hope, more and more source distributed software is getting 
batched.  I think the problem is really with who develops this stuff.  The 
people writing the software think "./configure --prefix=/opt/bloadware 
--sysconfig=/etc; CC_OPTS=-I/home/person/include make all test install" is 
just as easy as clicking on a box that does it all for you.  They are 
programmers, so this is what they do all day.  Many times it just takes 
someone else that knows how to batch things together in an intelegent way to 
put together an installer.  But as most Linux projects are low budget (ie- 
student in dorm working for free) this isnt likely to happen for many 
applications.  But hey, winex has a decent install script...    just give it 
time.


Jay