A successor to Automatix?

[dewclaw82]

While I was procrastinating over leaving Hardy for Lucid, I read download hints, instructions, etc. in several places and, as I recall, there was discussion of a program to use after the initial Lucid install. I don't remember the name of this alleged program but it sounded something like the old Automatix. Did I just dream this or is there some program that will help me with the installation of a number of non-kubuntu programs like Flash, Adobe Reader, etc.? If there is no such program, has anyone compiled a list of suggested commands, e.g., sudo apt-get X, apt-get Y, apt-get Z?

Thanks for the help, folks.

[Snowhog]

Re: A successor to Automatix?

I'm assuming that you will be doing a clean (fresh) installation of Lucid. You do know, yes, that you can't upgrade directly to Lucid from Hardy?

After installation of Lucid, follow my instructions in my Re: Switch user hangs in kubuntu reply so that you will be upgraded to KDE 4.4.4 and have the Medibuntu repository added. You will then be able to install the free or non-free Flash plugins, as well as Adobe Reader, among other things.

[claydoh]

Re: A successor to Automatix?

I think Automatix-like tool is mostly unnecessary anymore. What specific things are you looking at needing?

There is the Hardware Drivers for installing restricted drivers - there should be a notification if it detects anything needing any of those

Konqueror on first startup prompts for the install of various codecs, flash, etc
Amarok and Dragon do the same if there are anything missing there - the konqueror's prompt covers most of them by itself.

Adobe reader is imnsho pure crap, Okular has not failed me yet, and is already installed

About the only thing missing is libdvdcss for dvd-playback, and the w32codecs from Medibuntu

Adobe reader can be had easily from enabling the Partner repo from within Kpackagekit, and I think from medibuntu repos as well.

To be honest, I thoroughly and completely dislike Automatix, but it served the purpose of causing these built-in methods to be created

[dewclaw82]

Re: A successor to Automatix?

Thanks, Snowhog. After I discovered that Hardy Kubuntu was not an LTS, I was told that I could go from Hardy to Karmic and thence to Lucid. Trying to upgrade through Adept involved a very long add/delete session which ended with a notice that, due to some error, the installation had been cancelled. Therefore, I was forced to do a clean install of Lucid.

I've been adding in files from my home directory, which is on an external hard drive, but I keep getting little notices that the program will not copy file X, because it can't be read. I carefully explain to the computer that i just want it to copy the file and save the reading for me. The first "unreadable" file was a pdf so I went to adobe.com and downloaded Acrobat Reader. However, I really don't want to keep searching for the appropriate programs for each new type of file, so I was hoping for an easy way to install many of the non-kubuntu utilities. Your answer showed me the light at the end of the tunnel so I'll head that way. I also realized that I could apt-get Synaptic; I understand that Adept is dead or at least moribund.

And thanks for the info on Konqueror, claydoh; I've always preferred Krusader but I gather that's on the ropes also.

[Snowhog]

Re: A successor to Automatix?

Installing Synaptic is a good move. The default package manager - KPackageKit - is in need of some hand holding in my, and others, opinion. Synaptic is a solid package manager.