User installation of plugins and applications

[George Staikos <staikos kde org>]

Is there any standard, or plans for a standard, for users to install plugins 
and/or desktop apps without root access?  It's been pointed out that putting 
plugins in the application data directory is bad because it should be cross 
platform.  It would be nice if users could install (in a distro/OS neutral 
way) to their home directory somehow.  This might even lead to the ability to 
share some of these types of things in the future.

For instance: I am developing a scientific application right now and root 
access is just not always possible for the users.  The plugins are actually 
just plain C objects with an XML interface description.  Other applications 
use these plugins as well, and it would be nice if they all could look in the 
same place for their plugins.  With a defined standard, we could enable this 
sort of behaviour.


-- 
George Staikos
KDE Developer				http://www.kde.org/
Staikos Computing Services Inc.		http://www.staikos.net/