FAQ about mintInstall

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clem
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FAQ about mintInstall

Post by clem »

What is mintInstall?

mintInstall is a program which allows you to install software on your system without having to set up any configuration (repositories, keys, dependencies).

How does it work?

mintInstall reads .mint files. A .mint file is an archive which contains instructions to tell your system and APT how to install the software. All you have to do is click on a .mint file and mintInstall will use it to pilot APT and install the software for you.

Can you give an example?

Yes. Let's say you want to install Google Earth. You find the mint file for Google Earth (at present we're posting mint files in this forum, in the future we'll be using a dedicated portal for mintInstall), you click on it in Firefox. Firefox asks you if you want to open mintInstall, you say yes. A dialog opens and shows you what Google Earth is all about.. you click "Install" and the rest is done for you. Under the hood, mintInstall changes your repositories, updates your keys and installs Google Earth.

does mintInstall change my repositories?

Only while the software is being installed. After this is finished it puts them back the way they were.

Is mintInstall going to replace Gnome-App-Install (Add/Remove Applications) ?

It's very likely, yes.

will Linux Mint use CNR when this becomes ready for Ubuntu?

It's very unlikely, although still possible. mintInstall will probably be more suitable than CNR for Linux Mint.

is mintInstall stable?

Well.. it works. It could do with a bit of polishing :) At the moment it's version 1.3 and we're actively working on improving it.

can I install mintInstall?

Yes, add the cassandra repository to your /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository cassandra/

then do the following:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

Then you can use the mint files posted in the forum. If Firefox fails to open them, save them on your desktop and double click on them.

And can I install mintInstall without having to tweak my repositories?

Well that's kind of a chicken and egg situation :)

Have fun with mintInstall. It'll come preinstalled in Cassandra.

Note: If you're still using Bianca based on Edgy, don't install mint files made for Cassandra... unless you've upgraded to Feisty.

Clem.
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carltonh
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Post by carltonh »

does mintInstall change my repositories?

Only while the software is being installed. After this is finished it puts them back the way they were.
Would this mean that you would not receive updates when that program is updated, and you try to update everything through Synaptic? If so, maybe some .mint programs should ask if you want this to be updateable, and leave a line in the sources list if yes.
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Post by clem »

It all depends if the repository in question is in the sources.list or not. As far as updates are concerned nothing is changed, mintInstall just provides a new and additional way to install things.

It's a good idea, I wouldn't like this to be turned on by default (the idea is for people to not to know about repositories basically) but it could be configurable in the future.

Clem
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carltonh
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Post by carltonh »

Sounds good.

I don't know if you read the WineHQ "Weekly" News, but MintInstall seems similar to another idea discussed there called Winebot. That would be a front end to Wine that would automatically configure Wine for many programs that are complex to configure, to make Wine easy for anyone to use, and update that configuration as each Wine version improves. When Winebot is up to a stable release, that is something else that should be automated and added to Linux Mint.

When Windows .exe programs, including modern games, can run on Linux as easy as a double click, that will be a major tipping point.
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Post by NiksaVel »

well... just wanted to say that I hope you'll include the community when the web interface is going to be worked on, I have some ideas for it... :D otherwise, good work - once again Mint is making incredible leaps in linux usability for an average user!!! Keep it up guys!
Windows is extremely fast after a fresh install. If you want to make it stay that way: - don't use it.
-Clem
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Post by merlwiz79 »

I believe we need to get more Distros using CNR.
Why?
Because it can sell software straight to the Customer
and have it easy to install, this way more software can
come available to Linux.
I think there needs to be some work done on CNR like having
a link for a free alternative.
I like mintInstall but think we need more popular software
available for Linux and CNR seems to be the best way so far.

http://www.linspire.com/lindows_product ... ort=submit
Husse

Post by Husse »

Maybe - what is really needed is an automatic mintInstall file generator
That would be nice!
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clem
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Post by clem »

Husse: that's mint-make... I know it's not perfect yet but we're working on it. You've never tried it? :)

Clem
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Husse

Re: FAQ about mintInstall

Post by Husse »

Things have changed since Clem wrote the original post - this topic is partly outdated
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