A distro transition tool similar to the Windows migration tool

[molloollom]

OK check this out. You know how we got that new tool for users transitioning from Windows to *buntu? I was just thinking how badass it would be to have something like that for users coming from other distros.

So if you were installing over top of whatever pre-existing Linux install, it would copy over all those settings for stuff used on the old distro like thunderbird, firefox, ktorrent, amule, akregator, gftp, knotes, klibido, pidgin, mplayer....

I had to do that all stuff manually when I was switching to kubuntu from pclinuxos a few months back, and main is it a pain. Coulda used something like this!

[3vi1]

Re: A distro transition tool similar to the Windows migration tool

Install the new distro, but don't overwrite your /home volume (or restore it afterward) - all your settings will be preserved.

[molloollom]

Re: A distro transition tool similar to the Windows migration tool

I dunno man, I've never been much into that method. Say you just drop the old ~/home directory in there, you're possibly overwriting other stuff that is distro-specific, system settings type of stuff. Places like the ~/home/.kde directory. I don't want the old distro's versions of files in that directory.

There could be any number of quirky stuff related only to the formerly installed distribution tucked away in the home directory that kubuntu might not play nice with, not to mention the old settings that would probably be out of date. Do I know for sure that the old version of .kderc will work with the new version of kde out now, or six months from now, or a year from now? Do I know there hasn't been some protocol change that requires different config files for other components of kde than the previous installed version? Sure I want to keep my application settings, but I don't want to possibly mess up the new system in the process.

And that's where I think a distro migration application would be handy. You could bring over application settings without any fear of messing up the system itself. Worst case scenario is that the application won't work, but kde would be fine.

[3vi1]

Re: A distro transition tool similar to the Windows migration tool

Well, I've never had any problem doing it that way (and I've switched Distros a few times).

If you have problems, rename your .kde (and any other) directory and let the distro/app re-create the defaults. If you still have the same problem - it's not because of defaults you carried over.

I seriously wouldn't expect a utility to recognize/update/modify every possible "old" version of your rc files from every application imaginable, especially if the specific applications themselves can't do it automagically.

-J

[molloollom]

Re: A distro transition tool similar to the Windows migration tool

You got some good points there. Ah well, it was worth a shot.