[Hrnrurj]

I think it is matter of contract between author and users. Some authors just do not provide services like "background compatibility".

"Shipping" requires a lot of work, and some people just refuse to do that. Some of my popular programs are just repos on Github. To use them you have to run build script and execute from source code.

It elimites people who would require a lot of support, and would not give a meaningful contribution. Less work for me...

And if you desperately need my software, I always provide consulting...

[sshine]

I fail to see what is won by not providing clear, simple, standardised installation instructions in a README.

I make a habit of providing these for myself and they are great, both when I enter a new domain and need to remind myself of best practice, and when I return to a domain after a long time.

The lack of such instructions is a strong indicator to me that a project hasn’t reached maturity.