this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2025
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"Sideloading" isn't an actual thing. It's a word the industry made up to make installing your own software sound dangerous.
All traditional Windows applications were "sideloaded" and back then it was just fucking called installing an application.
Prior to the bullshit ass Microsoft Store, sideloading was literally the only way to get shit on Windows.
Linux also always allowed you to install applications directly. Everyone just uses package management software at this point because it's all well managed and easier to keep things updated, but you can still install things manually with make.
If this leads more people to understand that "sideloading" is some contrived boogeyman bullshit for just being allowed to install what you want on the device you fucking own that's a good thing.
You only need make if you're compiling. Installating precompiled software is somewhat easier, since it's basically just copying to /bin. If you know where that is, then it's simple.
There's even .deb, .rpm, flakes, whatever pacman uses, … that are just package files that copy to /bin/ for you, like .apk/.ipas.