> what do you think of the idea of using a different hierarchy while also mixing it with a package manager that respects it.

I think that's a great way to compromise to get what you need, /now/. As a NixOS user, it's great when it works, but then it doesn't, sometimes you end up poking for quite awhile to get things wrapped (binary releases, games, propietary tools, ...). In the long haul I'm here for it, but it can be annoying if you need something localy native when your brain is in "monke mode".

Of course, with containers we can always cheat. docker-as-service-manager is always an out.