The news item "Automatix lands a Linux user in trouble"

[so7777777os]

It isn't that hard now, but when people start fresh on a new OS they haven't even seen before, they always have that problem.

While it is very easy to install everything you need through the repositories, it would not be that easy for Ubuntu beginners since unless they read something on Ubuntu and it's installation methods, they wouldn't know what the repositories are, what they are used for and how they can be used. This causes them to follow the normal methods which are usually associated with Windows which is "Get to the web site where the setup can be downloaded, get it and click it", this does not apply on applications such as Firefox or Realplayer since they give their applications as .tar.gz or .bin which cannot be opened up the way like in a Windows OS which would cause them to start having second thoughts about Ubuntu as a good OS for them.

Also when it comes to reading DVD's you need a special package libdvdcss2, since this is not found in the normal repositories it would be very confusing for new Ubuntu users as they try and find it everywhere, this problem is escalated by the fact that the video player does not usually report the user of an absent package that is required to play a DVD unless it is a codec.

So once again, Automatix is supposed to be very useful for people who have no idea on how to install applications on Linux as it can be used to install applications such as Cross-Over Office and Realplayer. But since Automatix can cause more problems than fixing them, it would really cause Ubuntu users to forget about Ubuntu and Linux due to the idea that "Ubuntu is very buggy and is very non-user friendly" by their experience with Automatix.

I think your viewpoints is so right,because i'm a noob .
Now,i also have so many problems in Ubuntu and OS often .....(you know it),but i never give it up.
There're many experts like you will help these noobs out as me.........

[PmDematagoda]

maybe you didn't read what i wrote. i had no experience with linux before Feisty. Feisty wasn't much "harder" than Gutsy.

I wasn't referring to only yourself n3tfury, I was also talking about others who do not have the time to try and adjust to Linux, but a lot of it also depends on the character of the Linux beginner. If the user does not have the will power or patience to try and adjust to Linux and cannot figure it out within the first few hours, then he would simply forget about it regardless of the amount of time he can spare, and like so7777777os said, the user who does have the will power and patience would try to adjust to Linux and spend time reading wiki's, documentation and asking for help on the forums even though they may have issues concerning the amount of time they can spare.

[aysiu]

i've never understood the fascination with automatix.

Automatix was very fascinating back around Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger), because you had to do about a million little things to get Ubuntu working right.

Now, not so much.

And if beginners "need" a lot of proprietary stuff, they should just get Linux Mint instead of vanilla Ubuntu. Otherwise, it's not that had to enable it on Ubuntu (takes about as much work as figuring out how to install and use Automatix).

[SomeGuyDude]

i don't see that as a fact. ubuntu was my first linux OS and i was able to install all the apps i wanted with relative ease. it's not hard.

Put Swiftweasel on without Automatix. The only feasible way is to try and figure out which of the 50 versions on SW's project page is right. And if you're like me and have an Intel Core 2 Duo none of the filenames seem applicable.

Automatix is convenient (though I only use it as a last resort, I much prefer Synaptic).

[yaye]

First, when I came across the title of the article, I thought the "user" got into some type of legal trouble. I guess the title was a good way to get hits for the website.

Second, did the author of the article sit with his friend all the time he was using Ubuntu? If he didn't, how is he certain that Automatix caused the problem? To me, the author comes to a conclusion (that Automatix caused the problem) without enough evidence to support it.

[starcannon]

Automatix works for me /shrug makes getting things like quicktime and realplayer fast and simple.
To each their own, I like it so I use it. I can live with out it if it ever goes away, its just a nice utility that does some of the work for me allowing me to do other things.

[SunnyRabbiera]

well hey installing automatix is a good tool for total newbs, and its just as easy to uninstall as it is to install in the first place

[K.Mandla]

i knew that name sounded familiar.

Oh criminy. I remember Stan Beer. The IT writer that couldn't burn an ISO.

Sometimes I'm very happy that I left journalism.