How To Make Package Managers Cry

Common practices of scientific software developers that complicate compilation, installation, and packaging are explored in this satirical talk.

FOSDEM 2018 Streamdump In this talk, I will outline how (primarily scientific) software developers have found ways to complicate the job of the people who are responsible for compiling, installing and/or packaging their software, mainly in the context of multi-user high-performance computing environments. Next to an overview of the commonly used techniques, the motivations behind them, and the excuses that software developers can use to get away with it, I will showcase a couple of examples of software applications that have done a great job to make the life of package managers (in the broad sense) as miserable as possible. If you too want to make package managers cry (even more than they may already do), don't miss this talk!