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   NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 06:08:44 -0600   
   From: Josiah Jenkins    
   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.ubuntu   
   Subject: Re: Ubuntu machine on the way Friday   
   Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:08:44 +0000   
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   Xref: number1.nntp.dca.giganews.com alt.os.linux.ubuntu:11613   
      
   Whilst perusing Usenet on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 21:28:53 -0800, I read   
   these words from NoStop  :   
   >Pete wrote:   
   >   
   >> I've been surfing the web and not found a good answer to the question of   
   >> how to add a program/package from the Internet (not already in   
   >> repository). What "directory" do I download to from the Internet so I can   
   >> itstall it using synaptic?   
   >> God this could use a simple download and .exe file like Windows.   
   >   
   >If it's a deb file you just download it to someplace within your home   
   >directory. I have firefox setup to send all downloads to a "Downloads"   
   >directory in my home directory. Then you navigate to that directory with   
   >Nautilus (the Gnome file manager) and simply double-click on the deb file   
   >to install it. Couldn't be simpler. Much easier than Windoze.   
      
   Eckshully, that's almost identical to the Windoze procedure   
   (if you choose to set it up that way). A downloads folder, navigate   
   to there via file manager, double-click the .exe file and tell it   
   where to install the program.   
      
   The bigger difference is where the 'shortcut' to start the program   
   ends up ! In Windoze, you have to tidy up the Start/All Programs   
   menu manually or it can end up as a total mess.   
      
   And, like a lot of of things in Linux, that's probably not   
   a task that the inexperienced user wants to have a go at !   
      
   As an experienced Win user but a Linux newbie, I reckon both   
   systems have their good points . . . and bad.   
      
   The one major gripe that I have against Ubuntu is the inability   
   to log in _from_a_boot_ as 'su' (and a different password)   
   when you're trying to set the system up from scratch. Similar   
   to what you could do as 'administrator' on a buttoned-down   
   NT4 / W2K Win installation.   
      
   I've been trying to change 'permissions' on an .ogg file.   
   Even as sudo or gksudo and using a tag managing program,   
   I still can't find out how in Ubuntu . . . 'permission refused'.   
   Or you get it changed but it won't save !!!   
      
   The same file on a Win XP box. Not a problem, you can do   
   it easily in File Mangler and, remember, ogg is _not_a native   
   file system to M$.    
      
   As I said, IMO both systems have their good points, and bad.   
      
   (I've even managed to get a 'chocolate screen of death'   
   in Ubuntu which made me feel right at home and makes   
   a change from the blue and black ones !)   
      
   I actually wonder whether all those years I spent 'tinkering'   
   with .ini and .bat files in DOS and Win makes it harder   
   to adjust. Whereas, to a new user, a GUI is a GUI is a GUI !   
   >   
   >All that being said, you're better off, if a package is available in the   
   >repos to use Synaptic or apt-get to download and install it. This may on   
   >occasion require adding new repos to your /etc/apt/sources.list.   
      
   Talking of which, anyone know if the Ubuntu 'universe' and 'multi-   
   universe' repositories are linked to the main Debian one ?   
   Or do all the distros tap into the same couple of repositories ?   
   Not that it matters, I'm just curious !   
   >   
   >Unfortunately, not all programs you may want to install are already packaged   
   >into a deb file. Those that are not are usually available as source code   
   >files that require compiling on your system to make them into functional   
   >binaries.   
      
   That last sentence can put the fear of death into a newbie !   
      
   "Source code" . . . like Cobol, Fortran, Pascal and Lisp ?   
      
   "Compile" . . . like put lines of 'ifs, ands and ors' together ?   
       
   "Binaries . . . aren't they just dirty pictures you download ?   
      
   Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh !   
   >   
   >Ubuntu with it's 20,000 packages in its repos, pretty much covers   
   >most of what you'll need.   
      
   Agreed. That's one of the *big* advantages.   
   And if you don't like the program and want to try a different one,   
   dump one and install another just by ticking a couple of boxes.   
      
   -- jjj   
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