More Ubuntu for Windows Users

[Following up on my last post...] Unlike me, my brother is a full time Linux geek. One of the biggest complaints he had with Ubuntu was to manually compile from source, about half a dozen packages. Well, it’s usually just a simple configure; make; make install routine, but with security patches and updates being released almost every fortnight, it simply becomes a pain to keep up with the updates.

Of late, I’ve observed that he’s noticeably reduced bitching about it. Only today did I discover that he’s been using something called Automatix2.

I’ve often noticed that windows users are scared away from migrating to Linux because, despite their technical superiority to Windows MSI packages, debs and rpms from the Linux land don’t quite match the ease of installing msi or good old fashioned Installer exes. I guess it’s pretty easy for seasoned Linuxers to mistake me here, tools like aptitude, synaptic and yum are pretty cool, but just finding package repos on the web can at times be intimidating. I know the apt and rpm model are way more secure than the windows installation model, but yet, simple things should be simple right?

Seems like Automatix2 is a pretty nice tool to scratch that itch. For instance, Thunderbird 2.0 was released about 3 weeks ago, and it’s yet to appear in the official Feisty Fawn repos, but with Automatix2 and it’s a simple point and click interface, it’s easy!