Integrate "Apt-linker" into all Ubuntu Browsers

[Micah Gersten]

On 07/15/2010 07:37 PM, Ryan Oram wrote:
> Matthew Paul Thomas wrote on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:59:28 +0100:
>> A Greasemonkey script would work only for people already using Ubuntu
>> (and using a browser that allows Greasemonkey scripts). It wouldn't do
>> anything to make an apt: URL understandable for people who aren't using
>> Ubuntu. Nor would it help CMSes such as WordPress that mangle apt: links
> 
> Yes, but it would remove the need for users to manually enter in
> "apt-get install" commands given to them on blogs and forums. It would
> instead give them a link to click on that would bring up a GUI asking
> them to install the package (at the present time it would be the
> minimal AptURL GUI, on Maverick it will be Software Center). The
> script works fully on "apt-get install" commands posted on WordPress
> blogs, as I have tested.
> 
> There are very few browsers that do not support GreaseMonkey scripts
> nowadays (Firefox, Chromium, and Epiphany all do, as well as lesser
> used browsers such as Opera or Midori) and said script could be easily
> integrated to an extension (or even ubufox itself). In fact, the
> extensions for Firefox and Chromium in the original post were made
> from the GreaseMonkey script.
> 
> Let's face it, AptURLs have not be adopted widely by the community.
> However, there are tons of blogs, forums, and guides that use "apt-get
> install" to instruct users to install certain packages. Converting all
> of these commands into simple AptURLs will be big help to new users on
> Ubuntu and would serve to better integrate apt-get (and Software
> Center) into the browser and the web.
> 
> Original script: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/47591
> 
> Thanks,
> Ryan

I don't think we should install something like this by default.  If the
license is open source, why not package it?  If people want it, they can
install it.

Micah