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
-
There's a New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle is a Linux AI assistant that can work with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
English version at about 85 - 90 %
English version coming soon
german only
Communtu