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- funnylookinhat, on 10/10/2007, -5/+76Nearly everyone in the Ubuntu community who helps with support (either via IRC, ubuntuforums.org, launchpad answers, or any other medium) would totally agree with this.
Also, Feisty Fawn (and soon to be released Gutsy Gibbon) solve most of the problems that these programs were originally created for. It's no longer the most impossible thing in the world to get MP3s to play through your Ubuntu installation. : ) - ompaul, on 10/10/2007, -3/+35It is not acceptable to add your software to a machine and maybe make it unusable, if yours failed to work after you used automatix how would you feel.
If you were a new user and don't know enough you blame ubuntu, if you are going to make someone's machine not work you owe it to them to at least try to provide a way out of it! - inactive, on 10/10/2007, -2/+30"The blog could have been written in a way to give more positive feedback rather than only negative feedback... ...This blog could have been written in a nicer way for the greater good of every Linux user."
I'll take an honest review over unicorn and pony summary any day. You don't hear people asking for nicer reviews of Microsoft stuff, why would it be okay to throw away subjectivity and introduce bias just because it has something to do with Linux. It's just too hypocritical. - MeneerR, on 10/10/2007, -1/+28Interestingly, most of what makes Windows suck is also third party crapware...
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -1/+26People should come around to accepting criticism as it is. There is no need to sugar coat truth. People have a lot of trouble with truth in real life. Now only if we would realize this and leave the crap where it belongs. The volunteers are doing a great job. But nothing is more valuable than the dissection of ones work by an expert. I hope arnieboy takes this in good spirit and tries to improve upon his work.
- Bearach, on 10/10/2007, -3/+26OK but what happens in September when the next upgrade comes out and your mother in law and aunt click on the upgrade option. Chances are that at least one of them is going to have a royally screwed system 20 minutes later.
They are not going to think umm... Automatix caused some dependency problems there, they are going to say Linux really sucks this never happened with windows.
Why exactly should the blog author sugar coat the message that Automatix causes more problems than it solves? - CCmachined, on 10/10/2007, -3/+17also it doesnt register installed packages with the APT library, meaning other package managers like synaptic wont know they exist!
automatix tries to solve a problem: commercial codecs and apps arent available without enabling repositories and adding things. I can see why newbs use it, but i wouldnt. - arjie, on 10/10/2007, -1/+14In 7.04 and above, just trying to play the file will fetch you the codecs. I setup this computer just a couple of months ago and that's what happened.
- tirofiban, on 10/10/2007, -23/+36Automatix is the first thing I run after a fresh install of Ubuntu on my computers. For us novice Linux users trying to bring back life into old, spare computers, Automatix is exactly what we need. I was able get my mother-in-law and aunt to use Ubuntu full-time because of Automatix. I think Automatix has been very helpful to the popularity of Ubuntu. Without it, a novice user wouldn't even try Ubuntu. I think Automatix and programs like it are essential to the growth of Ubuntu.
We're all on the same team here, wanting Linux to work for everyone and become even more popular. The blog could have been written in a way to give more positive feedback rather than only negative feedback. I think negative and judgmental attitude like the one in this blog is the most dangerous threat to open-source and the growth of Linux. This blog could have been written in a nicer way for the greater good of every Linux user. - Cogboy, on 10/10/2007, -15/+28I concur, Automatix ***** my ***** up wicked bad.
- Noctem, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11Well he used the phrase 'wicked bad', so he's probably from New England :)
- apecat, on 10/10/2007, -2/+12tirofiban: This blog entry contains no personal attacks whatsoever and concludes in a very businesslike tone what anyone with any insight whatsoever in *nix systems administration and Debian based package management would agree with. The author actually agrees with what you said about automatix-like things being a necessity for new Loonix users, but if you'd have interpreted the text as a criticism of automatix's current implementation you actually could have learned something. What you did was to assume that this was the generic meaningless "ubntu suxx my videos wont play and i hate the command line"/"ubuntu rocks i hate u windows losers" kind of rant like most of the ubuntu related stuff posted to digg, while this actually is a list of very valid concerns and suggestions from someone who works for Canonical/Ubuntu and does GNU/Linux as his job.
- brharri1, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10True, but automatix can still be useful. For instance, after trying a thousand times to install realplayer and the mozilla plugin, the only method that worked was automatix. In addition, with previous installations I had followed precisely the official instructions to get all of the restricted codecs, but many videos still would not play until using automatix.
- thesquirrelwood, on 10/10/2007, -5/+14@tirofiban and mrisi
Can you expand on what *exactly* automatix does that is difficult to do in Ubuntu without it? This way developers can work on including this functionality into Ubuntu itself. - bigtomrodney, on 10/10/2007, -4/+12Gimme a break, it's not fud. We're not looking at blogspam here. This is a well researched and supported article detailing why it is bad.
- Stemp, on 10/10/2007, -5/+13Medibuntu : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu
- persept, on 10/10/2007, -12/+20When my friend who had Automatix upgraded from Dapper Drake to Feisty his system wouldn't boot properly. Everything was all messed up because apparently the update wasn't able to complete. If it wasn't for me knowing how to fix the problem, his computer might still be unusable.
- filefly, on 10/10/2007, -8/+15...was any of that English?
- amoore260, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10An answer to the current problem with Automatix is the new Apt:// protocol. I'm not sure if that is the official name but heres how it works.
(Example:) A hyper link "mailto://some@email" opens up an email client. "Apt://some-package" would open up a package manager download the package and dependencies from the repos. This method basicly use apt-get
Automatix could become a web app and have an install .deb app to add the extra repos that it needs.
what do you all think? - inactive, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8I think automatix has good intentions but will break your distro. I don't understand why ubuntu can't just come with the codecs/drivers needed.
- cdmarcus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7I'm a regular (or at least I used to be) on #ubuntu, and I've had to untangle tons of people from their Automatix messes. At least there's more time for that now that Ubuntu has automatic driver installation... Half the questions on the channel used to be people who tried to install the nVidia driver downloaded from the nVidia site and messed up their systems.
- Jacob, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9even without automatix you don't need to install from source for any of the things in automatix. I used automatix back when I was first learning ubuntu but after 2 years of it I do most of my stuff by command line or in synaptic automatix just messes configs up. It doesn't install stuff the way they should be installed if you had used synaptic, and most of the things in automatix are all in your repository anyway and if not you are better off finding a better repository for the stuff then the ones automatix gives you.
- geminitojanus, on 10/10/2007, -3/+9If that's FUD, it's pretty damn well researched FUD.
Older versions of Automatix were good, and even helpful. But as they've went on, they've become more and more disruptive and downright non-functional. Now, anything that Automatix would have accomplished can be done much simpler (and through the tools provided with Ubuntu). - cdmarcus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Maybe it's because he upgraded from Dapper Drake to Feisty... you're not supposed to do that. However, Automatix did break my upgrade from Dapper to Edgy.
- cdmarcus, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Just go to the Ubuntu IRC channel and ask us how to install a particular app without Automatix, we'd be happy to help you. If you don't know how to use IRC, just go here to use a web-based, Java IRC client: http://java.freenode.net//index.php?channel=ubuntu
- jonesin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6If somebody's got a writeup of how to do all of the stuff automatix does without installing it, I'd love to see it.
- stiankarlsen, on 10/10/2007, -3/+9Dugg down for using "lol".
- wastern, on 10/10/2007, -6/+11While it may not be needed it is helpful if you don't know what codec you need or where to look. I want to play mp3's and DVDs...check and check.
It would be nice if there was an area in Synaptic for the most popular installs or an area with the most common installs when setting up a new desktop system for general use. Some of the non-free things that they can't bundle in - hyperair, on 10/10/2007, -9/+14Can't agree more. I used Automatix when I was in Dapper. It left a bad taste in my mouth and crashed my Ubuntu installation twice. Never touched it again.
- stmiller, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Medibuntu doesn't break your system or do the nasty things that are explained in TFA.
- cynicist, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5I can't remember most of what automatix does but if you install most of the gstreamer packages you will be able to play any media file.
- cdmarcus, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7Have you ever tried Ubuntu? Installing software is easier than in Windows! Applications>Add/Remove, then search for what you want to install, check it off, and hit install. Installing media codecs is even easier... just double-click on the file you want to play, and when it finds that it doesn't have the codecs, it'll prompt you to install them. Same thing for available drivers.
- Doomhammer, on 10/10/2007, -6/+11Anything whose logo has a lens flare in it must be pure evil, by definition:
http://www.getautomatix.com/img/shot2.png - init100, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5That you never had any problems doesn't mean that nobody had.
- mjg59, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6The entire backend needs rewriting to fix some of its problems, and in doing so you'd end up with something that was basically the add/remove applications program. So it's probably not worth fixing it - it would make more sense to provide proper packages for the software (or installer packages where a full package can't be provided) and then use the existing code.
- cdmarcus, on 10/10/2007, -1/+67.04 automatically installs codecs for everything except CSS-encoded DVDs. For that, you have to install libdvdcss2 manually, but it's really not that hard. Just ask in the forums, or on IRC.
- mjg59, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Just to clarify - I don't work for Canonical, my Ubuntu work is done in my spare time.
- subxero37, on 10/10/2007, -3/+7RealPlayer for Linux isn't disgustingly bad.
- thesquirrelwood, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5you double click on an mp3 and ubuntu prompts you if you want to install the codecs, it's pretty easy
- thesquirrelwood, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4legal issues
- smacksaw, on 10/10/2007, -3/+7Automatix isn't that bad if you have a little common sense. Besides, a novice isn't going to know how to install any of this crap anyway. Automatix at least gives them a chance. Firefox+Add-ons on AMD64 is not a piece of cake.
- GMorgan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Sorry that method is riddled with politics and just isn't the best place to go about things. The only way to have a fair chance of getting things included is practically to force the issue. People were complaining about the issues Automatix solved for years before it forced the issue.
- monkeyboy7706, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4The problem wasn't the repositories used by automatix it was the way it goes about installing/uninstalling the software that causes problems.
- stmiller, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Did you even RTFA?
- pcmacman, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6This might be true, but there are already ways in place to go about requesting packages to be included in the Ubuntu repositories.
From the Ubuntu Wiki: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU/Packages/New
To get a package into Ubuntu, please file a bug in Launchpad and make sure it has the tag 'needs-packaging'. Make sure you check which packages have already been requested. For packages in Debian, but not in Ubuntu file a bug with the summary field "please sync package from debian " where packagename is the package you would like to see - Ademan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I don't know why people dugg you down, that's just your experience. I know that based on the stories i've heard it really can be harmful, i never used it personally so I wouldn't know. Easy Ubuntu was preffered for a while, but I t didn't really do anything impressive. While we're on the topic, NEVER EVER EVER USE "envy"! Envy has broken many many systems, and broke one of mine so bad that I couldn't even get to a tty when i booted. So, don't use it.
- dezmd, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5I'm desperately trying to figure out why ALL of the pro-automatix threads are getting modded down, this is *****. If automatix fuggers your box for upgrades, then the automatix side needs fixing, but if its a case of the ubuntu side doing something non-kosher in its upgrade process, then perhaps the ubuntu teams should look into it. Why all the hating on automatix? It was damn useful for turning Ubuntu into a power machine with very little configuration, and like you experienced its just as easy to hose your system by manually installing the apps it provides.
- DarkN00b, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5I completely agree. Automatix will eventually hose your system. I am in the habit of doing a completely new install instead of an upgrade because you can't dist-upgrade your system after using Automatix (I use Ubuntu). Next time around, no Automatix. Ubuntu has progressed beyond the need for it.
- sanguinemoon, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3And those "newbs" should be discouraged from using it as well. It doesn't serve any purpose and is an horrible little hack. If the new user use Automatix and it hoses their system, they're just as likely to blame "Linux" as Automatix.
- xdigitalkill, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Canonical can not legally include those codecs and drivers in Ubuntu because they didn't pay the license fee. Yes the mp3 format costs money, usually though the proprietary software companies can afford the fee so you don't have to worry about it. That is the reason for not distributing them in the US and many other major countries, in some places it is legal, that is why you can download them with a warning that they shouldn't be downloaded from some countries.
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