These nerds can either be:
- A Linux user who just started networking.
- A network enthusiast who has only used GNS3 because NetCad only supplies .deb build for Debian-based distros.
- A college teacher or professor where his/her University mandates "Linux only" for security reasons and he/she can't give a simple network representation using PT.
Packet Tracer is still a widely used and recommended piece of software. It is here to stay.
Now, let jump to the main point, there is a "package builder" named flatpak builder which basically helps to package any GUI or CLI or Properitery or Opensource apps for free. More information on that is here.
If only NetCad or Cisco devs, package the Packet-Tracer in Flatpak, this will happen:
- Any Linux distribution user, not only Debian-based distros, can now install it easily using a single command.
- Easy to install updates.
- Flatpak devs are awesome to help in case NetCad devs or Cisco devs need help.
I distro hopped from Ubuntu 20.04 to Fedora 34. And I miss Packet Tracer sometimes, I have to fully depend upon GNS3 these days. I know there are different "hacks" through which one can install PT in Fedora. But it's not very encouraging and updating it is another problem that can be annoying.
Devs need to do something about the availability of this piece of software. It can be very helpful to all network students. Not all students use Ubuntu, some use Arch by the way.
Imagine having to install PT just by using the command:
sudo flatpak install packet-tracer
Save hours if not even days of headache. Simple. Elegant. Awesome.
Sorry for posting here if this is not the right place to talk. But I really don't know whether the PT community even exists or not, devs mailing address or any sort of forums, or GitHub or GitLab, something like Bugzilla. Not a single thing. Anonymous. Yet they make PT and have some relation with Cisco in some way. So I asked here.
