What I Wish For in an Operating System

These are my complaints about some things I don't like in certain operating systems like Window and even Linux.

New Program Installation

I wish it was simple to install new programs. Programmers feel the need to install parts of their programs in numerous locations. Places like: Program Files, System32, User Setting in window; /home, /usr, etc. in Linux. Windows needs complicated install programs to place all the parts where they need to be and set lots of registry settings that can never be undone (without a lot of work).

Simplified Directory Layout

It just seems to me the way programs are installed could be a lot simpler. What if an operating system had it's directory structure laid out something like this:

kernel
Programs
User

Windows 2000 & XP are not far from this.

Expanding the above out we see:

kernel

Programs/driver1
Programs/driver2
:
Programs/driverN

Programs/app1 (the app directory name is actually something like "Editor 2.0")
Programs/app2
:
Programs/appN

User/user1 (within each user directory is a "settings" and a "documents" directory)
User/user2
:
User/userN

Kernel Finds Applications Automatically

In each app or driver directory is a file called something like load.ini. At bootup, the kernel scans every directory in "Programs" for load.ini files. These files tell the kernel things like file associations, start menu entries, hardware interrupts to be intercepted, etc. In other words, load.ini tells the operating system everything it needs to know about a program.

Simple Install - Just Unzip

To install a program, just unzip the downloaded file into a new directory within Programs. If on CD, just copy a single directory to the destination in Programs. The operating system will find it at next bootup, or the user can issue a command that will tell the kernel to rescan Programs.

User Accepts/Rejects Any Or All Features

The user does not have to accept all the changes specified in the load.ini files. There will be a user.ini file in the user's settings directory with the settings the user likes. When a new program is found (one that does not currently exist in the user's database), a pop up appears that allows the user to choose which features of the program he will make use of. Does the user want the program associated with .txt file? Does he want a desktop icon? Does he want the program to handle output to a specific model printer? The user might even choose not to use any features of the program. All this will be stored in the user.ini file. Of course, the user can change the settings later.

If a program is installed by one person, then another person logs on, the kernel will see the new program is not in the second user's user.ini file, and will present the pop up that asks if the program's features should be installed.

The first screen of the pop up will usually have simple default settings for the benefit of novice users.

Program Parts Stay Where You Put Them

An important characteristic here is that the newly installed program does not "reach out" and change the system settings (as in the Windows registry). And it does not place any of it's files outside of it's own directory. The system becomes aware the new program has arrived, then asks the user which features to install.

Uninstalling Programs

How is a program uninstalled? Just delete the program's directory!!! When a user logs on and there is a program in his user.ini file that was not found during bootup, all those settings are ignored! The program does not leave a dead icon on the desk top, the system does no complain about missing program files, and there are no orphan file in a system32 directory. It would be so easy!!

There would be some way to purge old setting from the user.ini file, with a way to archive the settings in case the program is reinstalled.

Does anything like this exist?

I'm not saying something like this does not exist, I just have never seen or heard of it. Perhaps an existing operating system, like Linux, could be adapted to do this?

Tell me what you think.