A open letter to the Ubuntu community re: Automatix

[kbrooks]

Dear Ubuntu Community,
DISCLAIMER: I do not endorse Automatix in any way. I am just tired of the arguments that occur when someone recommends Automatix.

So you're telling people not to use Automatix. Well, the newest version of Automatix is/has been tested by over 6 people. Some of you have tried the newest version of Automatix. Some of these "tryers" say that it works for them - other say it doesn't. Your mileage may vary.

The bottom line is that it is highly stupid to pretend that the *newest* version of Automatix is "unsafe" in any way when you all haven't tried it. You are spreading FUD in an attempt to pull people over to EasyUbuntu. This is wrong.

I ask you all to PLEASE consider that BOTH Automatix and EasyUbuntu CAN break systems (regardless of whether or not EasyUbuntu is "safer") and therefore I ask you to treat them equally and recommend both (as in ask people to try both, see if you like one best).

Thanks,
Kyle Brooks, EasyUbuntu developer/contributor

[Bloch]

I know choice is the by-word of linux. But this is another case where choice is just an annoyance to the new user.
Proprietary formats/software, particularly mp3, wma, the software to play DVDs, java are all an integral part of a modern operating system. It is confusing, unneccessarily so, for the new user to face so many choices in installing these.

It would be nice if the community got together and recommended one of automatix / easy ubuntu / something else
for beginners.
It really is not fair to tell beginners to choose one.

Well, the newest version of Automatix is/has been tested by over 6 people.

Is this a sophisticated joke?
I have used automatix twice with no problem. But I would think twice before using software that has only been tested by 6 people. Clarify what you mean.

Is there any procedure for canonical to "officially" recommend one of these intallation scripts?

For the record, I only know automatix.

[Raavea]

I have only used Automatix, on Breezy. (I had to re-install a few times, because I killed it...)

Next time I re-install, I think I will use Easy Ubuntu, as I would hope it worked better. They both sound great, but I'd like to see where the differences lie.

I reckon they both probably have shortcomings, and ubernesses. For instance, I think I'd like Auto better if there was a fuller explanation for the bits you can choose. When someone new needs stuff installed, I will be pointing them toward wiki's. I did it the hard way already, that's why I'm lazy now.

[Jucato]

Automatix, EasyUbuntu, and even Apt can break systems. there's no absolute 100% guarantee of success.

Having said that, I mention both Automatix and EasyUbuntu to new users, but usually prefer to instruct them on how to do things manually. It might be harder, but the "educational" benefits might be worth it. But that's just my opinion, and not everybody wants to do things that way. I don't have anything against either. I just didn't have the need to use them. Again, that's just me.

@bloch:
the community really can't be asked to decide which project to "endorse" because both Automatix and EasyUbuntu are part of the community. Choosing one over the other means that people will get hurt. And that will be a worse situation than having too many choices.

Also, I believe Canonical can't "officially" endorse either of them, because it would go against their philosophy/commitment to free software. Any "endorsement" or referral would only come through individual persons/devs speaking as inidividuals, not as representatives of Canonical. Of course, I might be wrong.

[TrailerTrash]

Ive used Easy Ubuntu, Automatix, and BUMPS...All 3 have worked great...They did not mess up nothing. I love them all, but i dont have a favorite. Anything can break a system.

[aysiu]

It would be nice if the community got together and recommended one of automatix / easy ubuntu / something else
for beginners.
It really is not fair to tell beginners to choose one.

There was a time, too, when I was a "beginner" to pasta. Believe it or not, I didn't really eat pasta until college.

Would it have been unfair for someone to ask me which kind of pasta to eat? No. It would have been unfair if they just threw a bunch of names of pasta at me: "Do you want fusili, penne, ravioli, fettucini, gnocchi, or rotini?" What? What? What? I don't speak Italian? How am I supposed to know?

But if someone took the time to explain what the choices are, I wouldn't have minded choice.

This is true of food, restaurants, MP3 players, hotels, video games, books, and just about everything. People love choice, but they just want to know enough to make an informed choice.

Instead of thinking for new users, just give them informed choices. Easy Ubuntu, BUMPS, and Automatix are meaningless names to new users (just as pasta names were meaningless to me at first), so let's point them to explanations of the differences.

[tsb]

Automatrix didn't work on my vanilla Ubuntu 5.10 install, so I feel it needs a little more work before it's ready for J6P. It's a grand idea, and hopefully it will realize its full potential.

[tsb]

aysiu- nothing worse than overcooked pasta.

fenyx- 100% agreed.

[3rdalbum]

Automatix may work well for some people, but I think we should be encouraging new users to do it "the hard way", and fall back on these scripts as a last resort.

Installing proprietry support through Synaptic builds character. But most importantly, it builds knowledge.

[T700]

Automatix may work well for some people, but I think we should be encouraging new users to do it "the hard way", and fall back on these scripts as a last resort.

Installing proprietry support through Synaptic builds character. But most importantly, it builds knowledge.

I enjoy learning the how and why and doing things myself, but if I went to the car dealership for a new vehicle and they gave me a 90% complete machine, plus a map to the location of parts stores, and some manuals, I'd be less than thrilled. I see no reason to put new users through the pain of manually installing these things unless they are particularly interested in doing so.

Paul