AppImage pursued a deliberately simple Linux distribution model: put an application and the libraries it needs into one executable file that users can download, mark executable, and run.
CTAN transformed scattered TeX software collections into a synchronized archive network, giving the TeX community a durable place to publish, mirror, discover, and redistribute extensions.
Apple's 2008 App Store combined discovery, payment, approval, updates and wireless installation into one distribution system, rapidly making centralized mobile software marketplaces a dominant platform model.
The OCI Distribution Specification turned the Docker Registry v2 protocol into an open standard for pushing, pulling and discovering content-addressed images and artifacts across interoperable registries.
The FreeBSD Ports Collection separated software recipes from upstream source code, letting a shared tree of Makefiles, patches and metadata automate fetching, configuring, compiling and packaging third-party applications.
CPAN turned Perl modules into a globally mirrored, searchable and installable software archive, helping establish the modern idea of a language-specific package ecosystem.