Automatix2 - reasons not to use it

[Graham]

On Sat, 4 Aug 2007 21:44:56 -0500
"Greg Booth" <bootgr at gmail.com> wrote:

> Just thought you guys might like to look at this since we just had a
> runaround with Automatix2 a little while back.
> 
> Originally found this through /.
> 
> http://mjg59.livejournal.com/77440.html
> 
> Greg
> 

Thanks for posting this, Greg.

The problem with Ubuntu, Kubuntu, et al, is that a complete novice
doesn't fully understand the concept of software libre and so can't
understand why basic tools provided in other operating systems are not
included in these.  The Easyubuntu project seems to have died (there's
no version available for Feisty, for example), so an easy software tool
for installing these more intricate codecs and tools is not available
to the novice....except through Automatix.

However, its not a particularly safe tool to use.  It seemed to make my
original install of Feisty corrupted.  However, it did add the
Automatix repositories to my sources.list file so now I keep a copy of
this so it can be added to a new install and the packages set up
through aptitude or synaptic.  Then I hose Automatix.

This seems to me to be its only real advantage.  If it worked safely it
would be great, but as the Livejournal blog entry states, it doesn't
work safely.  And this is just the type of tool that the novice needs.

-- 

Graham