From Pots and Vats to Programs and Apps

Not everything about computers and software these days is related to packaging, but a lot is. How can users acquire software faster and run it more easily? How should software be packaged up so that we can run it wherever we like? How do we resolve the tensions between the siren song of public cloud convenience and open source freedom and flexibility? In this book, Red Hat's Gordon Haff and William Henry take you on a journey through the history of packaging, pointing out along the way the clear parallels to how software packaging has evolved and continues to evolve. The retail industry and other packaging pioneers have had many lessons to teach and much to say about how we should think about software packaging. Today, open source software innovations in automation, container platforms, and assured software supply chains increasingly support the user directly, rather than just serving as a way to box up some bits. They simplify, integrate, and improve the overall software experience in the way that consumers accustomed to smartphones and on-demand content expect.