This problem is largely solved via flatpak. The link can download a small config file that tells your software installer gui where to grab the package. It then installs and updates like you’d expect any app.

Software does need to stop linking to these tar files.

Personally i'd rather download a tarball with the binaries, put the program in a directory of my choice and if needed install the necessary libraries from my distro's package manager. So i wouldn't like it if programs stopped distributing those.

Especially since there already is an unofficial Thunderbird flatpak that works pretty well.

They surely have their own technical problems, but AppImages that maintain themselves are particularly friendly as well.

It's about as similar to the 'download untrusted software, double click to run it, and hope/pray/assume it handles updates itself' workflow found elsewhere as you can get.

I have several non-technical family members using Linux. They don't struggle getting software at all, regardless of it not being just-like-others.

There's software portals just like the stores on other platforms and they generally bridge the gap between packages/containers well.

Nobody installs from archives like Slackware anymore, or they shouldn't.

AppImages still dynamically link to libc. They don't work on Alpine and Android. They'll probably break on distros that are built years apart from when the AppImage is too.

Just stop distributing binaries, it's unprofessional.

My guess is that parent's family members aren't using Alpine, so they don't have this problem.

If your family members need binaries of bleeding edge software and you're worried about their ability to use their computer you should be building them. In that case you'll be able to ensure compatibility. I don't think encouraging novice users to download random binaries from the web is any better than them not being able to use the absolute latest version of an email client.

Exactly, figuring out how to make an exe on Linux is a step backwards, not forward...

You need to then secure the source, handle security concerns, install AV, you might as well use windows or OSX which have extensive controls for these things already inplace...

It's convenient, but unwise.

Aye, but it's still a valid concern in a technical sense. They're not great for things outside of certain bounds of LSB

With that said/considered, I don't think it's a big deal - anyone non-technical should be happy with whatever their distribution maintainers provide.

They won't be watching mailing lists hoping to grab the latest $thing :)