Difference Between Automatix and EasyUbuntu (was Re: Newbie Wurkshop)

[Evan Leibovitch]

Corey Burger wrote:
>>> If there was at least documented -- SOMEWHERE -- on the Ubuntu site
>>> indicating things such as EasyUbuntu or freecontrib.org it would prevent
>>> people from needing to Google the information -- and then finding
>>> themselves open to every little idea of how to do things.
>>>       

> There is a recognition that
> there is a need for a better way. There is even a spec about it:
> https://features.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/common-customizations
> It is a Feisty release goal.
>   
Corey, this is not the solution. The proposed answer is far more
bureaucratic, over-engineered and paternalistic than is necessary. Maybe
Rene's tone was out of line, but (at least this time :-) ) I well
understand the frustration behind it.

It is beyond the scope of the Ubuntu team to track, enumerate and QC
(let alone meta-package!) packages that are beyond its control (for
whatever legal or commercial reasons). If it does so, it risks the same
liability issues that keep the packages off official sites in the first
place.

The team can, though simple documentation as simple as a wiki page,
explain the situation in new users' language. It can suggest
repositories at which users can find such packages, and offer a forum in
which users can indicate experiences related to the reliability of said
repositories. This deals with liability issues while enabling the
community to help newer users understand what works and what doesn't.

The list at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CommonCustomizations is certainly
incomplete, but there's no reason for Ubuntu maintainers to even bother.
Do QC on the repos, not the packages -- most users can take it from there.

Maybe Ubuntu should be taking a page from Mandriva on this one: check
out  http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/
- no new GUI install systems
- no tracking of individual packages
- no meta packages
- no big policy changes on behalf of the core

The Ubuntu process would not be not an exact clone, but at least you can
see what I mean. A website can generate the lines to be cut/pasted and
added.

Anything more than this is unnecessary and needlessly complicates things.

- Evan