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    Careful recommending Automatix

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by Pitabred, Aug 5, 2007.

  1. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    http://mjg59.livejournal.com/77440.html

    Just came across this on Slashdot, thought I'd throw it out for some discussion :) I personally just add the mediubuntu repositories for all my multimedia stuff, and run with that.
     
    Pitabred, Aug 5, 2007
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  2. starling

    starling Notebook Consultant

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    It's not a good idea to install things into a Linux distro like Ubuntu if it's not supported by the distro. Even if it causes no problems now, it may well cause some later when there are upgrades to various elements of the distro, or a whole new version. The things that Automatix install are not too hard to install yourself anyway, if you take a bit of time to look things up online. Automatix is really not necessary if you are running Feisty Fawn.

    Some will say you can always uninstall it later, but it's a bit of a myth that you can always completely uninstall everything more cleanly in Linux than you can in Windows.
     
    starling, Aug 5, 2007
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  3. yin

    yin Notebook Consultant

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    As a linux newbie, I've found that Automatix2 gives me some more up-to-date programs, specifically aMSN 0.97; the ubuntu default repositories give me 0.96 something.
     
    yin, Aug 6, 2007
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  4. Lysander

    Lysander AFK, raid time.

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    Now I can say "I told you so."
     
    Lysander, Aug 6, 2007
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  5. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    Although it's good for the newbies, Automatix defeats the purpose of Synaptic PM; to centralize package management. With Automatix, suddenly an Ubuntu system has two applications for managing packages, and anyone can see that it is apt (pun intended :)) to cause conflicts and ugly problems. Personally I use the Medibuntu repos.
     
    Bog, Aug 6, 2007
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  6. Paul

    Paul Mom! Hot Pockets! NBR Reviewer

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    Glad I made the switch a while ago. When I first got into Linux, I also used Automatix. I pretty much ditched that almost a year ago, though, before they had simple debs to install. Now, I just add the medibuntu repos and install anything else I need manually. Automatix pretty much turned me off over a year ago when I tried to update one of my installations to a testing version of Edgy and it totally screwed it up.
     
    Paul, Aug 6, 2007
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  7. Woodgypsy

    Woodgypsy Notebook Evangelist

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    You can find .deb files of most up-to-date major packages at www.getdeb.net
    Manually installing deb files is much less messy than using Automatix. aMSN 0.97 is found there, as well.

    Especially since Automatix is much less sophisticated than standard apt-get system. For buntus, I used medibuntu and getdeb as well.
     
    Woodgypsy, Aug 7, 2007
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