I've got to agree with neondiet. Those people on digg who submit stories should write a short, concise description and stop with the "copy of the first paragraph of the article as the description". I wish people would write their own based on the whole article. Especially do not copy the title, as this submitter has done. It's getting annoying now.Bottom line: diggers PLEASE write your OWN description instead of copying the first paragraph from the article.
I personally don't use Automatix2 anymore. I used it on Edgy and had no problems (now using Feisty Beta); still, I could just do everything using apt-get or a GUI frontend. If I am correct, software installed though Automatix2 does not get updated when using apt-get or a GUI frontend. That really sucks. Even if Automatix2 was easier, not updating when using apt-get is enough a reason to ditch Automatix2. Furthermore, as I have heard a million comments, my friend broke his system using Automatix2. Still, choice is important and it is news for some people that use Automatix2 that it works on Feisty now, which is why I DIGG.
I'll give a word of warning. MANY of the packages Automatix force-installs are already in repos. If you use the Automatix versions of things you very well may break Feisty. Badly. Just a word of warning from your resident Linux enthusiast.
drdabbles: My post was not directed at you... It went out as a general comment.. (and no I am not taking anything personally here).. We are always open to constructive criticism (if anyone bothers to check, we actually get a lot of that on the Automatix forums) . We have a whole Request forum open and user requests are often swiftly dealt with and incorporated in Automatix.However comments like "Automatix breaks" coming repeatedly from a select few community members who never come up with any documented proof of Automatix actually breaking anything suggests something grossly wrong going on here (though I personally am at a loss pin-pointing what it really is).We are not out here to compete against anyone.. We are a part of the Linux open source community as much as a lot of people out here are and we are trying to constantly improve a product which has stood the test of time.. so why all this hatred and animosity from a tiny fraction of this community? If there is any misunderstanding which is causing this, I am open to discussing that as well. I am openly inviting everyone to come and discuss all these issues instead of spreading information which is misleading and at times plain malicious..
""Automatix breaks".. I ask: where is the breakage? Why do I never get a single report about it and still have 2 million users downloading and using Automatix? If anyone is indeed sure that a breakage is Automatix related, why doesn't he/she come up and discuss his/her point on our forums? Something I am missing here?"Not that I am supporting the view that Automatix is unsafe, but it could be that the reason that you don't get detailed reports saying exactly what went wrong is that Automatix is targeted at people who are new to Linux and would therefore not knowledgeable enough to give know what went wrong ( although that also brings to mind why they thought that the Automatix was to blame ) but my point is not so much that there is evidence that Automatix is dangerous as that a lack of bug reports does not prove stability in this case either. Especially considering the fact that most allegations accuse Automatix of breaking upgrades. I would be surpried if a user who used automatix would make a connection between having upgrade problems and the fact that they installed Automatix months before, even if it were to blame.In answering your question of why Automatix is seen as unsafe ( if indeed it does not deserve that reputation ) it may be that people are confusing the official Automatix with the German version which does use apt-get --force ( among some other nasty things ).Finally, IMHO, a cleaner solution instead of an install script would be to just set up a repository and some meta-packages, but I have not thought about it much so I may be missing something there.
I have faithfully used Automatix for a long time and I never had a problem. I think that Automatix is party responsible for Ubuntu's popularity. I have setup several people with Ubuntu and instead of pointing them to a forum I have installed Automatix and told them to click "yes" a few times.arnieboy, brilliant addition to Ubuntu and Mepis!I think the fact that Ubuntu has tried to incorporate your innovations into Fiesty is a testament to your hard work.I installed Fiesty a few weeks ago and then went right back to Edgy when I realized Automatix wasn't working with it yet.I will use Automatix2 and Bleeder after Fiesty is officially released.
Good linux wireless cards:Ralink cards and chips (often included in other products like the wusb54gc)Intel cards only need a binary firmware blob, usu. work out of the box with UbuntuSome more info but be warned this page looks out of date and of course certain things are more likely to work now, eg., Broadcom 43xx cards were reverse engineered (usu. not Broadcom laptop wireless cards though): <a class="user" href="http://users.linpro.no/janl/hardware/wifi.html">http://users.linpro.no/janl/hardware/wifi.html</a>If everything fails, ndiswrapper's always there.
I am also an Automatix developer and I can back up arnieboy when he says that we 1. we do not force any installs and 2. do not break systems. We get bug request every day and watch them closely and never have I seen a report of any major system breakage. Also recent reports from users also show that upgrading to fiesty after using Automatix is not a problem. Automatix is a very active project and has grown very stable. Future releases of Automatix will only be even more stable because that what we care about most of all in our releases.
Automatix breaks systems as often as it is useful. Visit <a class="user" href="https://help.ubuntu.com/">https://help.ubuntu.com/</a> for copy and paste instructions on how to install things the right way, with less headache. This is why:From #ubuntu, the community support channel on irc.freenode.netubotu: Automatix2 is a script that tries to install some software, and often fails and breaks systems. We don't provide support for it, and we strongly discourage its use. Problems caused by Automatix are often hard to track and solve, and it might sometimes be easier to !install a fresh copy of Ubuntu. See also !WorksForMe
garrehApr 9, 2007
I've got to agree with neondiet. Those people on digg who submit stories should write a short, concise description and stop with the "copy of the first paragraph of the article as the description". I wish people would write their own based on the whole article. Especially do not copy the title, as this submitter has done. It's getting annoying now.Bottom line: diggers PLEASE write your OWN description instead of copying the first paragraph from the article.
daradibApr 9, 2007
I personally don't use Automatix2 anymore. I used it on Edgy and had no problems (now using Feisty Beta); still, I could just do everything using apt-get or a GUI frontend. If I am correct, software installed though Automatix2 does not get updated when using apt-get or a GUI frontend. That really sucks. Even if Automatix2 was easier, not updating when using apt-get is enough a reason to ditch Automatix2. Furthermore, as I have heard a million comments, my friend broke his system using Automatix2. Still, choice is important and it is news for some people that use Automatix2 that it works on Feisty now, which is why I DIGG.
drdabblesApr 10, 2007
I'll give a word of warning. MANY of the packages Automatix force-installs are already in repos. If you use the Automatix versions of things you very well may break Feisty. Badly. Just a word of warning from your resident Linux enthusiast.
arnieboyApr 10, 2007
drdabbles: My post was not directed at you... It went out as a general comment.. (and no I am not taking anything personally here).. We are always open to constructive criticism (if anyone bothers to check, we actually get a lot of that on the Automatix forums) . We have a whole Request forum open and user requests are often swiftly dealt with and incorporated in Automatix.However comments like "Automatix breaks" coming repeatedly from a select few community members who never come up with any documented proof of Automatix actually breaking anything suggests something grossly wrong going on here (though I personally am at a loss pin-pointing what it really is).We are not out here to compete against anyone.. We are a part of the Linux open source community as much as a lot of people out here are and we are trying to constantly improve a product which has stood the test of time.. so why all this hatred and animosity from a tiny fraction of this community? If there is any misunderstanding which is causing this, I am open to discussing that as well. I am openly inviting everyone to come and discuss all these issues instead of spreading information which is misleading and at times plain malicious..
trogdoorApr 10, 2007
""Automatix breaks".. I ask: where is the breakage? Why do I never get a single report about it and still have 2 million users downloading and using Automatix? If anyone is indeed sure that a breakage is Automatix related, why doesn't he/she come up and discuss his/her point on our forums? Something I am missing here?"Not that I am supporting the view that Automatix is unsafe, but it could be that the reason that you don't get detailed reports saying exactly what went wrong is that Automatix is targeted at people who are new to Linux and would therefore not knowledgeable enough to give know what went wrong ( although that also brings to mind why they thought that the Automatix was to blame ) but my point is not so much that there is evidence that Automatix is dangerous as that a lack of bug reports does not prove stability in this case either. Especially considering the fact that most allegations accuse Automatix of breaking upgrades. I would be surpried if a user who used automatix would make a connection between having upgrade problems and the fact that they installed Automatix months before, even if it were to blame.In answering your question of why Automatix is seen as unsafe ( if indeed it does not deserve that reputation ) it may be that people are confusing the official Automatix with the German version which does use apt-get --force ( among some other nasty things ).Finally, IMHO, a cleaner solution instead of an install script would be to just set up a repository and some meta-packages, but I have not thought about it much so I may be missing something there.
bcmillerApr 10, 2007
I have faithfully used Automatix for a long time and I never had a problem. I think that Automatix is party responsible for Ubuntu's popularity. I have setup several people with Ubuntu and instead of pointing them to a forum I have installed Automatix and told them to click "yes" a few times.arnieboy, brilliant addition to Ubuntu and Mepis!I think the fact that Ubuntu has tried to incorporate your innovations into Fiesty is a testament to your hard work.I installed Fiesty a few weeks ago and then went right back to Edgy when I realized Automatix wasn't working with it yet.I will use Automatix2 and Bleeder after Fiesty is officially released.
generalloyApr 10, 2007
Good linux wireless cards:Ralink cards and chips (often included in other products like the wusb54gc)Intel cards only need a binary firmware blob, usu. work out of the box with UbuntuSome more info but be warned this page looks out of date and of course certain things are more likely to work now, eg., Broadcom 43xx cards were reverse engineered (usu. not Broadcom laptop wireless cards though): <a class="user" href="http://users.linpro.no/janl/hardware/wifi.html">http://users.linpro.no/janl/hardware/wifi.html</a>If everything fails, ndiswrapper's always there.
bloodyvalentineApr 19, 2007
I am also an Automatix developer and I can back up arnieboy when he says that we 1. we do not force any installs and 2. do not break systems. We get bug request every day and watch them closely and never have I seen a report of any major system breakage. Also recent reports from users also show that upgrading to fiesty after using Automatix is not a problem. Automatix is a very active project and has grown very stable. Future releases of Automatix will only be even more stable because that what we care about most of all in our releases.
thewrkncacnterMay 9, 2007
Automatix breaks systems as often as it is useful. Visit <a class="user" href="https://help.ubuntu.com/">https://help.ubuntu.com/</a> for copy and paste instructions on how to install things the right way, with less headache. This is why:From #ubuntu, the community support channel on irc.freenode.netubotu: Automatix2 is a script that tries to install some software, and often fails and breaks systems. We don't provide support for it, and we strongly discourage its use. Problems caused by Automatix are often hard to track and solve, and it might sometimes be easier to !install a fresh copy of Ubuntu. See also !WorksForMe