Guest post by Remember Automatix? Yes the nifty little application that made installing additional softwares on the Ubuntu system a breeze. Here comes the same for Fedora 9, FedoMATIX (v0.1Beta). It currently works on the command line only, but supports more than 60 additional softwares/apps already. The next version, which is due release in 2 months, will feature a GUI and many more softwares and hacks.
Automatix for Ubuntu was really useful and I think it was essential for introducing new people to Ubuntu. Hope that FedoMATIX will be as good or even better than Automatix. I think this is really good news for Fedora fans.
i used automatix when i first looked at ubuntu. a modified apt that added a “automatix” category would have been better.
adding another layer of package management does not make things easier and instead creates another level of confusion for users.
synaptic and sources.list is all you need.
the terminal is the ace up your sleeve.
For me apt-get is enough :-), but I think that even Synaptic is still not enough for a totally new person to linux/ubuntu. For example, once you write mp3 or avi in Synaptic you get dozens of packages to choose from. Automatix, on the other hand, used to give very easy way to install essential stuff such as mp3 and avi support.
Edited 2008-07-07 05:13 UTC
Adding an easier-to-use more special-purpose apt front end would be fine, and it would address the shortcomings you find with synaptic. The answer is *not* to add in an additional third party package manager.
By layering on more software about which the normal system–and by this I mean apt–is completely ignorant is a recipe for disaster. First of all, package management is a hard problem which automatix solves not at all. It just throws stuff on and hopes it will work. Secondly, since apt does not know about the random junk that may or may not have been thrown on it cannot handle it gracefully and is more likely (more apt? hehe) to break in the future.
Adding non-apt stuff to a Debian-type system is fine, if you know what you’re doing. Users of automatix almost by definition do not possess that kind of expertise.
What would be wrong with doing *exactly* what automatix does, GUI-wise, and providing *exactly* the same software, but in the form of .deb files in an apt repository? It would be entirely possible, and actually easier since you would be leveraging the existing capabilities of the system. No one would object to such a tool.
Instead you have automatix which, much in the manner of DOS and Windows installers of old, charges through your system in an uncontrolled and irresponsible manner, changing who knows what with completely unknown consequences.
Fedora users should stay away. They already have a package manager.
Edited 2008-07-07 11:31 UTC
Amen!
I liked the idea of Automatix, I didn’t like the non-Debian way in which it was implemented.
Besides, I’m even somewhat leary of using backports on an Etch installation, which is why I have use Etch to work, Lenny to play, and Sid to learn.
Of course, Ubuntu isn’t Debian stable either.
That is what meta-packages are for.
I have had Automatix kill Ubuntu before (failed to upgrade properly).
Ubuntu-Restricted-Extras metapackage contains mp3, flash, java, gstreamer codecs, mstfcorefonts, and much more.
If metapackages solve this newbie problem, what problem is automatix solving? And is Automatix creating more problems than it solves?
Edited 2008-07-07 14:51 UTC
Awesome! this should really help out new users. Looking forward to trying it out.
I never used Automatix, nor did I quite see the point. It was easy enough to add the repositories for restricted codecs and such without using a dangerous pile of junk like that. It’s been a recurring problem in search of a solution.
I’ve been with ubuntu for over a year now and initially I used automatix to install some thing. I still think something like it is needed to solve common issues.
I have hardy AMD64 and flash just doesn’t work. Using some scripts and hacks, I can get flash to show up 1/3 times. Lord knows I scour the forums trying everything to get this fixed. Just recently I install flash10 beta.
At least something like automatix could automate a lot of the hacking from a trusted source. I try to make sure what I copy from the forums makes sense, but it’s definitely possible my judgment is bad.
Try in your add or remove software:
File name: npwrapper.libflashplayer.so
Shockwave Flash 10.0 b218
just download it and Flash should show up in your 64 bit Firefox.
Install Gnash using add/remove programs. It works much better than Flash.
i thought automatix was ditched as ubuntu already had the functionality built-in, now they think fedora needs it?!
keep it simple stupid, just install the livna and macromedia repo’s and yum install <whatever>
This is NOT an Automatix Team project. An Automatix for Fedora is in the process of being developed.
Automatix for Ubuntu wasn’t ditched for technical reasons it was ditched for political reasons, which a lot of people are probably aware of. I could tell the team was pissed when they moved to Windows Vista.
Fedora is in desperate need of an Automatix. When a new user comes to Fedora they are probably going to ask “Why can’t I play my music and how do I make my nvidia card work properly.” “Ok, I now know I need to get these codecs from a separate repo, but there are 3 livna, RPMforge, and ATrpms. Which one should I use? Can I use all three?” “Ok I now decided on which repo I want to use, How do I add that repo?” “The repo-release RPM wasn’t too hard, but I want to install Skype also and they don’t have a repo-release RPM so how do I add that repo?” “This is getting confusing!!!”
OpenSuSE understood the need for community repos and made it easy to add them via yast.
The little script works fine. Very convenient if you don’t want to remember all the locations where to download the apps from.
I think Something like Fedora may need s Automatix at the moment. The Ubuntu project was not satisfied with a third party dev supplying these scripts and decided to do it themselves the “right” way. Ubuntu doesn’t need automatix, things are easy enough as they are and one third party repo away from being as easy as it gets (medibuntu). Maybe this will get the Fedora project to do the same, look at what users are trying to do and cater to them as opposed to relying on a rather hacked script that may work much better if done through metapackages and a more consolidated repo.
I remember using Automatix, very useful porgram. But I haven’t used it over a year ever since the codec (gstreamer and/or xine) were every easy to get from the Add and Remove.