Hi,

I am new to Linux. I installed Ubuntu, and coninuously need to add
applications that may not be on their Synaptic Program Manager.

Is there a way to get other applications into the SPM? Or any other
way to install apps automatically?

I do not want to have to type in a bunch of cryptic commands every
time I need to install a new application. If it was once every couple
months I'd be OK with it, and nevermind that manual installation
should have went the way of the dinosoar DOS, 20 years ago!

Otherwise I am real happy with Ubuntu, the installation was a dream,
completely hands off, miles ahead of any Windows installation
process!!

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

Roger

In comp.os.linux.setup Roger <Roger.Zimmerman@gmail.com>:
> Hi,

> I am new to Linux. I installed Ubuntu, and coninuously need to add
> applications that may not be on their Synaptic Program Manager.

> Is there a way to get other applications into the SPM? Or any other
> way to install apps automatically?

How to install ANYTHING in Ubuntu!

http://monkeyblog.org/ubuntu/installing/

Looks helpful.

Good luck

[..]

--
Michael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: EDD27B94)
mail: echo zvpunry@urvzvat.qr | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/'
#bofh excuse 314: You need to upgrade your VESA local bus to
a MasterCard local bus.

On 11 May 2007, in the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.linux.setup, in article
<1178916210.460432.243210@e51g2000hsg.googlegroups .com>, Roger wrote:

>I am new to Linux. I installed Ubuntu, and coninuously need to add
>applications that may not be on their Synaptic Program Manager.

As you are new to Linux, your best bet is to use the applications that
come with your distribution (or in the case of *buntu, the applications
available through Debian), and you _REALLY_ want to be using the
package manager for this.

1: The packages have been inspected, poked at, tested AND someone
is keeping an eye on it for security problems.

2: The package manager keeps track of what is installed, where, and
what conflicts and dependencies exist, AND how to resolve them.

3. The package manager can handle updates, and the safe removal of
packages without breaking the system.

Do you know how to do all of that? Are you aware of the consequences
if you are not able to do so?

Unlike windoze, there are (literally) hundreds of different Linux
distributions, and they use several different package tools. Most often,
packages are built for a specific release of a specific distribution,
much as a fender for a 2006 Plymouth PT Cruiser isn't going to fit very
well on a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette. or a 1957 Ford Thunderbird. The
common tool among all distributions is the tar file and compiling from
source - which is still simpler than you trying to figure out how to
bash that piece of sheet metal (or fiberglass) into something that may
be made to fit and function like a fender.

>I do not want to have to type in a bunch of cryptic commands every
>time I need to install a new application.

Then why are you using a keyboard? Can't you just click on some icon
and have your thoughts translated directly to words in some web-form?

>If it was once every couple months I'd be OK with it,

uhuh

>and nevermind that manual installation should have went the way of
>the dinosoar DOS, 20 years ago!

The reason it did not is because that cryptic command stuff can do things
that your GUI can't do because the author never thought you'd need or
want to do so. If the GUI author didn't include it, you can't do it.
Amazing. Additionally, the commands can be chained together to do
things quite different, and rapidly without much effort. In reality,
while there are a lot of "cryptic" commands on the computer, you rarely
use even ten percent of them. Here, there are over 1300 commands in my
PATH as a user - yet I average using around 80 commands to accomplish
everything I use the computer for. Tell me where the icons are that you
can use to find out how many commands are on your system, and which ones
you are using.

Old guy