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54 Comments
- daengbo, on 03/14/2009, -1/+22Thanks to Motang for submitting my story. Thanks to everyone else for digging it. It's nice to come home to a bunch of comments. I'll update the blog post with the additional repos people have mentioned.
- mogydy, on 03/14/2009, -0/+12the first thing the upgrade processdoes is disable (not remove) extra repositories.
once the upgrade is finished, you can easily re-enable them using administration > software sources. - computershack, on 03/14/2009, -1/+11Like my experiences, it'll either work seamlessly or turn to ***** big style. Back up /home first.
- loell, on 03/14/2009, -0/+9and after re-enabling the repo, also make sure that the repo has the binary package(s) for that particular ubuntu version
- croxis, on 03/14/2009, -0/+9And the Synaptic package manager isn't GUI?
- ukblacknight, on 03/14/2009, -0/+9Pretty interesting, didn't know there was a compiz repo, although there is no key for it so I may avoid it (it annoys me when it says packages can't be authenticated!)
I think the process of adding repo's and their keys is a bit of a complicated task for someone who doesn't know what they're doing. It should be simply a button on a website, which (acts like apt://) will add the PPA's to the software sources and import the GPG key. All the user would need to do is enter their password. There is a brainstorm idea if you'd like to vote on this: http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/17692
(wtf is with this text box jumping up and down when i type in it?!?) - ethana2, on 03/14/2009, -0/+9If it's not a .deb, don't bother with it. Contact the person who's offering the mutant installer and ask for a .deb.
Also consider keeping tabs on www.getdeb.net - Cupantae, on 03/14/2009, -0/+9OpenSUSE is just as much a noob distro as Ubuntu, it's just not as popular
- JudgeDredd, on 03/14/2009, -0/+9Good for you?
- djangoxl, on 03/14/2009, -1/+9What about upgrading? How will the system respond when I want to upgrade to 9.04?
- golgotha, on 03/14/2009, -0/+8*whoosh* looks like you don't know that it's spelled suppositories
- ukblacknight, on 03/14/2009, -0/+7You don't know how repos work do you? Or even what they're for!
The repo's mean you don't have to search the web, meaning they can go to the Add/Remove program in their OS and search there, with ratings on the application. Tick it and click apply, and the application downloads, installs itself, without clicking next, next, I agree, next, next. Application updates are done through the updater along with updates for the OS, so you don't have each application having their own methods of updating.
There are times when the app you want isn't in the repos, so you need to add them in order to install and keep the application bang up to date.
Of course, users can still go out and look for deb, rpm or whatever and click install ;) - 7aji, on 03/14/2009, -0/+7you mean the OS that you don't need to open a browser in order to install programs.
- ileftfark, on 03/14/2009, -1/+7Or spelling.
- mynameistux, on 03/14/2009, -1/+7already had most of these, but I bookmarked it anyway so I could find them again in future. (when I set up friends PC's, want to post them to the UF, etc)
- svivian, on 03/14/2009, -0/+5Awesome, never realised Opera had a repo available!
- computershack, on 03/14/2009, -2/+7Obviously doesn't include a grammar checker....
- GeckoSlayer, on 03/14/2009, -2/+6While very simple, it is great for a new Ubuntu user to grasp hold of a tutorial like this.
Don't want them thinking we have barely any applications, when the default Ubuntu only gives you the free repositories (free as in source code). - MattBD, on 03/14/2009, -0/+4Not really. N00bs tend to insist on using IE to visit nasty websites and get infected, and you have to help them upgrade stuff. I'd much rather administer an Ubuntu machine than a Windows one for someone who wasn't very capable.
- KingCritter, on 03/14/2009, -0/+4Right click file, click properties, go to the permissions tab, and check the "allow executing file as program" checkbox. Then double click on the file and click run.
Is this *totally* easy? Well, no. However, I agree with the poster below me -- there *should* be a .deb of it somewhere. The only two .bin's I've ever come across were the Doom 3 demo and OpenArena.
And actually, .bin's do have their place. Their main advantage is that they can be used on any system, no matter what package manager is installed. - Kingoftherings, on 03/14/2009, -0/+4Change intrepid to jaunty
- Gonasadude, on 03/15/2009, -0/+4Ubuntu does not "make you have to upgrade every year."
- sickbag69, on 03/14/2009, -1/+4Really? Thanks for teh info
- glomza, on 03/14/2009, -0/+3neetbook. you heard it heer first!
- draxenato, on 03/14/2009, -1/+4Cheers for that, a good selection of apps and well presented.
- dicer999, on 03/14/2009, -6/+9I'm not a fan of suppositorys.
- AlexiHelligar, on 03/14/2009, -3/+6Well, Windows has .exe, installers and .msi binary installers. You can also install stuff using .bat and .wsh and all other kinds of scripts (i.e., ActiveX). Further, you can have stuff installed for you that you don't even want, like viruses, automatically.
To properly launch a .bundle or .bin file, you need to make sure it is executable:
# chown +x <filename>.<extension>
then launch it using the proper syntax which you should find in the ReadMe file for whatever it is you are trying to use.
Far more powerful, and far more secure than what you will find with Windows. - hardeep1singh, on 03/14/2009, -0/+3Thanks. that link looks useful.
- Midnitte, on 03/14/2009, -0/+3@MattBD
It seems like the roles are switching, windows is suppose to be the system that just "works" and never fails in any aspect. The fact that more and more people are using linux (such as xandros) and having everything work and being easily fixed is very exciting.
Hopefully having to buy yet another windows OS just a shrot time after vista was released will force people to expose what a horrible system microsoft really has and how easier open source is to identify problems and fix. - mynameistux, on 03/14/2009, -0/+3my grandma uses linux mint.
- hardeep1singh, on 03/14/2009, -2/+5Atleast all those windows installers work on double clicking, so for a newbie, procedure is the same.
The problem wouldn't go away by turning a blind eye to it, instead of explaining how to install it, try calling for standardization of formats. - MattBD, on 03/14/2009, -0/+3@hardeep1singh
No, I was talking about home users. The IM issue isn't a problem really, you've got several IM clients to choose from so just choose one they like that supports Yahoo IM, and Wine will run some games of course, or you can find plenty of alternatives. Updating is simple, just run sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade, or use Update Manager. And if you use something like Linux Mint you don't have to worry about installing any codecs at all.
Put it this way, I know several n00bs who use Eee PC's with Xandros without any problems. On the other hand, the other day I had Vista suddenly fail to detect my CD-ROM drive and I had to delve into the Windows registry to fix it. What noob is going to do that? - mmdanziger, on 03/23/2009, -0/+1Finally! A Linux/Unix list on digg that isn't the same old "image progams on linux" or "bit torrent clients on linux" or what have you. Bookmarked for future reference.
- yacks, on 03/14/2009, -2/+3Just to think I was setting up a computer with Ubuntu to give to a friend.. very useful tonight.. :) without need to hunt things down.
- sloppychris, on 03/15/2009, -0/+1The text box jumps around sometimes for me too. : /
- JQP123, on 03/14/2009, -2/+3"The repo's mean you don't have to search the web ... "
"There are times when the app you want isn't in the repos, so you need to add them ..."
How do you find a repo that does have the app you want? Let me guess ... you search the web.
The obvious flaw in the whole "repo" concept is the fact that the end user is dependent on the "repo" man, whoever that may be. And even then, the concept doesn't always work. No repo can always be up to date and contain every version of every app that the end user wants/needs so the end user is left searching for alternatives ... and hence this article. - hardeep1singh, on 03/14/2009, -1/+2lol
- hardeep1singh, on 03/14/2009, -2/+2@MattBD, Seems like you're talking about Systems in a corporate environment while I'm talking about Home Users. Linux is good if the intent is to shackle and keep the system running in the same condition forever. If you set up Ubuntu on a newbie homeuser's machine, you'll be constantly nagged by his complaints that Yahoo IM doesn't look like the one that another friend has and why am I not able to install this cool racing game.
- inactive, on 03/14/2009, -1/+1Take this time to send out a prayer for Motang. He's been living for years with the HIV virus and now he has full blown AIDS. Poor fella.
- JQP123, on 03/14/2009, -3/+2"I think the process of adding repo's and their keys is a bit of a complicated task for someone who doesn't know what they're doing. It should be simply a button on a website, which (acts like apt://) will add the PPA's to the software sources and import the GPG key. All the user would need to do is enter their password."
I've got a better idea. How about if we just let the user search the web and when they find the app that they want, they click "Install"? - enterneo, on 03/15/2009, -2/+1now this is a list with crap free useful programs.
- Azathothh, on 03/14/2009, -4/+2uhhh.... Windows doesn't need a browser to install programs
- digifuzz, on 03/14/2009, -4/+2*whoosh* i guess you're lucky you don't know what a suppository is.
- volcompimp, on 03/15/2009, -5/+3Another reason I don't use Ubuntu... I hate having a ton of extra repos to sync.
Main reason is because I hate any distro w/ a "release system" which makes you have to
upgrade every year or change repos. I like the fact that Debian has an unstable
branch that never changes repos (currently only running Arch on my eeepc but
I'm a long time Debian user). - Reformer81, on 03/14/2009, -14/+10Great information and very well written.
- inactive, on 03/13/2009, -13/+9very useful
- whammypower, on 03/14/2009, -7/+3I prefer Fedora for many reasons. Mostly because my Wi-Fi card worked OOB. And the yum installer GUI built-in.
- hardeep1singh, on 03/14/2009, -8/+4The only thing that amazes me about Ubuntu is that on one site the installer file format is .bundle, on another its .bin, check one more and you find .deb and double clicking most of them (except .deb) does nothing, leaving you totally confused how to install, still they have the audacity to call it a complete primary operating system for a PC.
- hardeep1singh, on 03/14/2009, -7/+2if a friend needs me to set up his pc for him, he's probably better off with Windows. Saves a lot of headache.
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