LinuxTag 2009: Communtu Eases Ubuntu Installation
Communtu wants to give new installers and Windows converts an easier time with Ubuntu. They will present a webpage with a list of suggested programs to install as a metapackage, including multimedia and proprietary software, and then install it.
One of the first presentations in the morning of the first LinuxTag in Berlin was from Communtu out of Bremen. The project is based on the premise that there's yet an easier way to install Ubuntu. Be it multimedia codecs or proprietary thingies from, say, Skype or Google Earth, at a certain point users might have to post-install packages without having them readily at hand.
This is where Communtu comes in. Users who register on a webpage can select packages to download and Communtu does the rest. It puts a metapackage together and installs the programs. The left pane presents links that guide you through the process to enter certain key data. It wants to know your areas of interest (programming, games, systems), the desired Ubuntu version and if you want free or cost-based software or licenses. Communtu then presents two links that Ubuntu opens using the gdebi package installer. Behind the links are hidden two Debian packages, the first imports the necessary keys to get to the second one. The metapackages then assemble what you selected among the software.
In one respect you're spared aggravation, but the registration still takes time, and some of these metapackages are, theoretically, also feasible through Ubuntu's normal installation. The concept harkens back to Linspire's Click'n'Run service and openSUSE's One-Click-Install system. Yet to be seen if Communtu's Web version will find a following.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
The GNU Project Celebrates Its 40th Birthday
September 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the GNU Project, and it was celebrated with a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.
-
Linux Kernel Reducing Long-Term Support
LTS support for the Linux kernel is about to undergo some serious changes that will have a considerable impact on the future.
-
Fedora 39 Beta Now Available for Testing
For fans and users of Fedora Linux, the first beta of release 39 is now available, which is a minor upgrade but does include GNOME 45.
-
Fedora Linux 40 to Drop X11 for KDE Plasma
When Fedora 40 arrives in 2024, there will be a few big changes coming, especially for the KDE Plasma option.
-
Real-Time Ubuntu Available in AWS Marketplace
Anyone looking for a Linux distribution for real-time processing could do a whole lot worse than Real-Time Ubuntu.
-
KSMBD Finally Reaches a Stable State
For those who've been looking forward to the first release of KSMBD, after two years it's no longer considered experimental.
-
Nitrux 3.0.0 Has Been Released
The latest version of Nitrux brings plenty of innovation and fresh apps to the table.
-
Linux From Scratch 12.0 Now Available
If you're looking to roll your own Linux distribution, the latest version of Linux From Scratch is now available with plenty of updates.
-
Linux Kernel 6.5 Has Been Released
The newest Linux kernel, version 6.5, now includes initial support for two very exciting features.
-
UbuntuDDE 23.04 Now Available
A new version of the UbuntuDDE remix has finally arrived with all the updates from the Deepin desktop and everything that comes with the Ubuntu 23.04 base.
English version at about 85 - 90 %
English version coming soon
german only
Communtu