[B Knotts]

They do have to have a common API; they've got to have a common installer.

Well, these do already exist. X11 and make. :-)

[bigdcaldavis]

What about Synaptic Package Manager? Or Linspire's Click-N-Run service? After all, Linspire's basic CNR service is now free...you still have to pay for commercial apps. When Linspire open-sources the CNR client, I'm gonna try to install CNR on Xandros 3.