[ubuntu-uk] Ubuntu CNR deal

[Alan Pope]

On Mon, Feb 12, 2007 at 10:46:32AM +0000, alan c wrote:
> Alan Pope wrote:
> > On Mon, 2007-02-12 at 08:25 +0000, alan c wrote:
> >> I have had no problem with automatix or with easy ubuntu. 
> > 
> > How many machines have you install automatix and all the gumpf and then
> > upgraded to the next release using update manager? In the past this has
> > been the bit that has bitten quite a few people.
> > 
> >> I *do* know 
> >> why the codecs are not there initially and I do know how to go about 
> >> getting them myself, but life is short and I do *not* want to spend my 
> >> life learning linux inside out, I want to *use* it.
> >> 
> > 
> > But you don't have to learn much.
> 
> I do not want to have to learn anything really at all
> 

I find that hard to believe. You learned how to use automatix, kde, konqueror, kmail (guessing) and so on.  
These all have differences from the windows world that you used previously. This is all stuff you learned.

> 
> > In fact all you have to do is
> > copy/paste some stuff off a web page
> 
> ? which apps, which codecs, which whatever, which web page, which 
> version, - it is endless

There is one page that covers pretty much most of what automatix does. Ok, automatix has loads of extra stuff 
like google earth and opera, but the main apps that cause a sticking point for most people (flash, mp3s, java 
and so on) is covered or linked from one page. That url (which does redirect) has been the same for a few 
releases now.

http://wiki.ubuntu.com/RestrictedFormats

There is also the official documentation. 

https://help.ubuntu.com/

> - that is until it becomes more standardised 
> within a distro such as (k)ubuntu and can be done as easily as a 
> bundle with a few,  preferably one, mindless click.
>

There are of course other issues with the mindless click. The mindless click in automatix may cause problems for 
upgrades as already mentioned. The mindless click of installing proprietary drivers causes a loss of freedom on 
your part. The mindless click of installing binary only drivers (such as Nvidia) causes your kernel to become 
tainted, and thus support becomes more difficult.
 
I don't think aspiring towards the mindless click is a good thing.

> The hours I stand at computer fairs talking to people who want to move 
> from windows but are not capable of doing anything more that automatix 
> (if they are lucky), makes me believe that binary blobs or not, stuff 
> like automatic codecs are a critical factor in the wider use of Ubuntu.
> 

Sure, many people don't want to deal with all that stuff, and with feisty a lot of it is easier.

> >. Once you know where those pages
> > are, and have done it once or twice it's really very easy to setup.
> 
> That is ok for me in my role of admin help advisor for others, but I 
> am more than fully occupied anyway at present.

But you don't have to do it, you just need to point them at the official documentation, and if that fails, the 
support ticket system.

> It is *not* satisfactory for average Joe and Jill who would not expect 
> to even know what an Operating System is. And I spend time at computer 
> fairs (yesterday) actually demonstrating just that to two guys!
> 

But on Windows they are expected to install antivirus, spyware, operating system updates. This is all stuff they 
*had* to learn, so why should they suddenly become mindless idiots when they move to Linux? 

Cheers,
Al.