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Zero Install is a decentralised cross-distribution software installation system. Other features include full support for shared libraries, sharing between users, and integration with native platform package managers. It supports both binary and source packages, and works on Linux, Mac OS X, Unix and Windows systems. It is fully Open Source.

FEATURES:

· Decentralised; anyone can distribute software
· Security is central
· You control your own computer
· Conflict free - if two programs want the same version of a library, they'll share it. Otherwise, they'll use separate copies.

Shared binaries/cache:
· 0install supports sharing of binaries (the implementation cache) between users and between virtual machines.

· Cross-Platform and Cross-Distribution
· Automatic updates
· Binary and source packages - supports both compiling applications from source and downloading binaries.

Native package manager integration:
· If you have already installed a package using your distribution's installer then 0install can use that instead of downloading a second copy.

Run without granting root privileges:
· When installing a package, most installation systems execute pre- and post-install scripts inside the package as root, giving the package full access to your machine. Even if they didn't, the fact that the package can unpack files to directories such as /usr/bin or /usr/lib effectively gives them root access anyway.

· By contrast, when 0install installs (caches) a package, it does not run any code from the pacakge and it does not write to any of the traditional software directories like /usr/bin or /usr/lib. Instead it simply puts each unpacked archive into its own directory.

Run without being root:
· Since installing software with 0install does not allow it to affect the system as a whole, there is no need to restrict it to users with root privileges. Therefore, there is no need to give users root privileges just so that they can install software.