3.4.1 Introduction

September 13th, 2025

There are many software package managers on Linux. These already provide advanced and very comprehensive functionality for distributing and maintaining software. Those linked to network repositories like yum and apt, and those that handle local package management at the distribution level like RPM are all well known.

There is no real need to create another package manager. However, a large gap exists between the needs of the developer of in-house applications and the often complex functionality they are exposed to in tools like RPM. The end result is messy, inconsistent, poorly documented, often bug-ridden one-off installation scripts deployed with countless files.

Make Bash Installer bridges this gap by providing a mechanism for packaging any software into a single self-executable file. As the name suggests, it runs under the Bash shell. Make Bash Installer provides the following functionality:

• Auto creation of users and groups
• Auto creation of a directory structure
• Packaging of files
• Controlling install file permissions
• Auto generating uninstallers
• Running of scripts during installation

The usage of this tool is so simple, and provides such consistent results, that it is the system administrator's best friend when it comes to tasks like auto-deploying a system configuration. For the same reasons, it makes deployment of your own software, patches, and hotfixes, quick and easy.

Make Bash Installer is created and maintained by Joey Dobias.