“Earlier this month I covered Ubuntu’s Migration Assistant, which is one of the features that will be found in Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn. The migration-assistant is designed to make it very easy for Microsoft Windows converts to jump into the Ubuntu world by automatically transferring files and settings. However, when I originally tried out Ubuntu migration-assistant I had run into a few bugs that ultimately rendered the assistant useless. However, in that post Evan had commented that the two major bugs being recently corrected, so this morning I gave this installation assistant another shot.”
Now that rocks! Another step into achieving the perfect tools and reasons for conversion. I’m not an Ubuntu user and I confess it used to irritate me a bit all that popularity, but I have to admit and rejoyce about this project’s excellent work.
The next release will sure be a landmark.
Congratulations for all the developers!
P.S. … though I think I’ll keep using Fedora
Edited 2007-03-19 01:01
This is an interesting feature, thank you Thom for doing a quick review (I appreciate that as I have not spent much time these days digging new features in the dev versions of ubuntu).
Some things scratch me though, if some users could enlighten me:
– does it still work with, say, localized windows versions? Depending on the language, Windows uses different folder names (instead of “My Music” you could get “Ma musique” for example). I have no idea how Windows does that, so maybe it already works?
– what if the user doesn’t keep the data in the default windows folders? I assume a lot of them don’t. Judging solely on the screenshots, I did not see a way to add a “custom” folder.
There are ways to reference a My Whatever folder regardless of what the actual name is. One is using CLSID ( http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/misc/CLSID-List.htm )
My Computer is ::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
My Documents is ::{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}
And so on. There are surely other ways as well (said partly because I see no entries for My Pictures), but that is the one I remember from my days using Litestep.
On that note, I’m not sure how well (if at all) Ubuntu does at accessing Windows registry information
Edited 2007-03-19 02:07
On that note, I’m not sure how well (if at all) Ubuntu does at accessing Windows registry information
I don’t think that’s needed. All information that’s needed stays in DocumentNSettings , apps folder etc. One does not migrate system wide settings (XP -> Ubuntu) and application settings.Seriously,there’s life beyond registry information.
The problem is that several directories being migrated (see http://www.michaellarabel.com/external/migration-assistant-1.png ) may be localized or moved (e.g. to drive D). I know I’ve moved “C:My Documents” to the network drive “z:Documents” at work since it provides better integration when I use GNOME. So yes, you do need to read the registry. I believe I’ve read that it is possible to do, but I don’t remember if there’s an independent tool that could do it or you have to use WINE.
In this case yes. I’m not gonna comment how often this case occurs. If it can happen once then I have a case.
“does it still work with, say, localized windows versions?”
Yes, it should work in i18n environments, however I’ve only tested this with my Spanish version of Windows XP and would appreciate those with a virtual machine setup to give it a try when the 7.04 beta is released.
In case you were curious, Windows stores the absolute path to “My Music” in the registry.
“Judging solely on the screenshots, I did not see a way to add a “custom” folder.”
There is currently no way to add a custom folder, and that would not only seriously complicate the interface, but would be quite difficult to add given that the Ubuntu LiveCD installer is built on top of debian-installer (the Ubuntu alternative installer), which doesn’t support fancy things like file choosers. It can be done, but it would be ugly and definitely has to wait for Feisty+1.
I should note that many applications, such as iTunes, store their data in a sub-folder of one of the Windows default ones.
This is the kind of stuff that really needs to be worked on in the Linux world, and congrats to Ubuntu for working on getting the job done. I’m assuming this will be open source, so hopefully other distros will begin using this.
It’s GPLv2 and it is my hope that other distros pick it up. The Ubuntu-specific bits are separate from the core code and the core only depends on libxml2 and libc.
Of course Corel Linux ran everything they did in WINE for some godforsaken reason but there you go.. Corel Smart Move:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartMove
http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/previews/2159/4/
http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/previews/2159/4/screenshot14…
Edited 2007-03-19 01:51
Where’s the firefox transfer? Thunderbird? Outlook Express? MSN account info? AIM account info? All of that is very useful…
Where’s the firefox transfer? Thunderbird? Outlook Express? MSN account info? AIM account info? All of that is very useful…
Firefox bookmarks transfer right now. Plugins, settings, and themes will transfer in Feisty+1.
AIM usernames transfer from AIM Triton, full AIM accounts transfer from Gaim.
Outlook Express accounts transfer to Evolution. OE emails, Thunderbird accounts and emails will transfer in Feisty+1.
I may ask, because I really don’t know: Will this work with every “Windows” derivate and subversion? With “XP”, it seems to work quite fine, but what about the older stuff still in use, such as “Windows 2000” or “Windows ME”?
Or did that article appear to have been edited strangely? There are several sentences that end strangely and w/o punctuation, and throughout it there are single words in weird places.
It would also be nice if the tool could auto-detect the software installed in Windows and make hints how to replace them in Ubuntu — with an option to install them (and migrate settings) instantly. That would be good for the first step, so the complete migration process could be
1. detect installed Win Software
2. let the user choose the replacement option
3. install the replacement SW (if not already done)
4. migrate the settings there
Clean user interface, simple. What do you think about this?
“That would be good for the first step, so the complete migration process could be
1. detect installed Win Software”
That would be relatively easy as long it is not a very special software solution, such as video editing, music composing or database software.
“2. let the user choose the replacement option”
Best presented along with a mostly representative screenshot of the replacement.
“3. install the replacement SW (if not already done)”
This would require a DVD, additional CDs or an Internet connection because of the huge amount of alternatives.
“4. migrate the settings there”
And here we encounter the problem. Usually settings are stored binary, in a configuration file (or in some of them) or in the registry.
And I may say that you forgot an important point:
4a. translate the original settings so that the alternative software can use it
That could be a problem especially with software that does not conform to standards or open formats.
“Clean user interface, simple.”
And entertaining, with dancing puppies while copying. 🙂
“What do you think about this?”
I think that’s an interesting approach, because it corrects the misbelief containint there’s no software for Linux (assumed usually by users having their system full of pirated copies of expensive “Windows” software). Usual questions regarding Linux I hear here in Germay are “Is it the same as ‘Windows’?” or “Does it look the same as ‘XP’?” Many of the advantages of modern GUIs are usually declined, but the “Windows” user seems to feel more comfortable with some of the obsolete or complicated concepts he got used to.
> That would be relatively easy as long it is not a
> very special software solution, such as video
> editing, music composing or database software.
Ofcourse. But, there is only a small amount of SW that is installed at 90% of all people. Already the existing tool solves a lot of problems.
> This would require a DVD, additional CDs or an
> Internet connection because of the huge amount of
> alternatives.
Just use what is in the Ubuntu repository. an/or what would fit best (MS Office –> OOO). Make a “90 % are happy with this solution”-approach. And let ubuntu (respective apt) install it.
>> 4. migrate the settings there
> And here we encounter the problem.
This is what the tool currently solves. This is what we already have now! The migration assistant already has the possibility to convert (“translate”) MS Outlook settings into Thunderbird ones.
What I mean, in this example:
1. detect the Mail SW installed on Windows: Outlook, OE or Thunderbird
2. ask the user to choose Replacement: Evolution (full migration possible), Thunderbird (the same) or Sylpheed (migration by hand).
3. install the mail program if not there: apt-get $MAILPROGRAM
4. use the (already existent!) assistant routines to migrate
5. (to be in heaven): help the user with the new program assuming that he was already familar with the windows pendant.
“But, there is only a small amount of SW that is installed at 90% of all people. Already the existing tool solves a lot of problems.”
Yes, the average home user should be satisfied.
“Just use what is in the Ubuntu repository. an/or what would fit best (MS Office –> OOO). Make a “90 % are happy with this solution”-approach. And let ubuntu (respective apt) install it.”
I already see Ubuntu in a position to replace a typical home installation of “Windows”. Furthermore – I can only speak from my experience in Germany – most home users treat their PCs as a better typewriter or a gaming console.
“This is what the tool currently solves. This is what we already have now! The migration assistant already has the possibility to convert (“translate”) MS Outlook settings into Thunderbird ones.”
I was aware of this fact, maybe I had to be more precise. I was talking about settings that affect sorts of “MS Office”, such as dictionary settings or document templates. Because “MS Office” format differ from major versions, it would be up to OpenOffice to have the proper filters so the user can reuse (and convert) his documents. Maybe that’s trivial. Just to mention, “Windows Media Player” playlists? “Winamp” playlists? Okay, forget the last one, nobody uses “Winamp” anymore. 🙂
“What I mean, in this example:
1. detect the Mail SW installed on Windows: Outlook, OE or Thunderbird
2. ask the user to choose Replacement: Evolution (full migration possible), Thunderbird (the same) or Sylpheed (migration by hand).
3. install the mail program if not there: apt-get $MAILPROGRAM
4. use the (already existent!) assistant routines to migrate
5. (to be in heaven): help the user with the new program assuming that he was already familar with the windows pendant.”
I’m really impressed! I didn’t see the support goint that far.
Oh, I am not connected to the project. What I wrote was just a proposal. Sorry.
It obviously needs some improvement and should include more options as mentioned by others here in the future.
this is why ubuntu is “THE” distro little things like this sure i could tansfer all the settings over manually and transfer some files but its a pain in the @ss this is point in click linux at its best check some boxes click next enjoy. Thanks Ubuntu Dev Team