Add a few Ubuntu-eque tools to Debian Edition?

[Nick_Djinn]

No doubt, Ubuntu is slow and bloated. It works, its pretty, its slower than the competition sometimes. Still more stable and is the most user friendly Linux, with Mint being the evolved form of it.

How about adding a few tools to the debian edition that make Ubuntu so nice? Not all of them. Not most of them. Keep it down to the things that really make a difference.

Possibly the installer? I prefer the older installer Ubuntu used to use.

Startup disk creator? I suppose you can add that later.

Hardware detection and proprietary driver support?

There are a few things that Ubuntu added to Debian that really made it a lot better. However, there is a lot of crap that ISNT so great.....Pulse Audio is one of them, and now it infected Gnome. It would be nice if XFCE didnt have Pulse.

I would say that if you took most of the tools that Ubuntu added by Fiesty Fawn, a few of the modern ones, then have access to much newer software like firefox 4 beta, that would be enough to make the Debian edition a serious contender to Ubuntu based distros in general.

[TBABill]

Ikey is already developing a set of tools to perform much of the work the Ubuntu tools perform regarding proprietary hardware configuration. That's going to be huge to users used to having it done for them. I imagine you'll soon see the newer Firefox in testing, in the form of Iceweasel, and hopefully one of these days we'll get a newer Chromium as well. But, in general, the age of the software isn't such a big deal if it impacts stability, which is why some people want testing instead of Ubuntu based (besides the bloat and other issues).

[craig10x]

For chromium, i solved that one by downloading the actual Google Chrome deb file from Google's site...that way i always get the latest stable edition and updated versions as well...the guy that does the Chromium updates at debian is like turtle slow about getting new versions to debian testing...on LMDE, Chromium from debian is like about 8 months old on the version (6 series) they are in the TEN SERIES now)...

I'm also hoping that Clem adds those friendly auto installer options that the ubuntu installer/mint main edition installer have...in case i ever need to re-install LMDE again i would rather NOT manually partition...

[Nick_Djinn]

Ikey is already developing a set of tools to perform much of the work the Ubuntu tools perform regarding proprietary hardware configuration. That's going to be huge to users used to having it done for them. I imagine you'll soon see the newer Firefox in testing, in the form of Iceweasel, and hopefully one of these days we'll get a newer Chromium as well. But, in general, the age of the software isn't such a big deal if it impacts stability, which is why some people want testing instead of Ubuntu based (besides the bloat and other issues).

"Soon" is too little too late. It wont even be beta anymore before we have the OPTION of testing it. There needs to be an easier way to add repositories, something like Yast, only for repos instead of apps. I think its adding the key that throws people off. There should be a way of adding both the repo and the key in one command.

Anyway, I dont see why we shouldnt have access to beta software IF WE WANT IT. Hell, people should be able to install Pulse Audio if they need it, though it shouldnt be crammed down our throats and so imbeded that your sound breaks without it.

I'm also hoping that Clem adds those friendly auto installer options that the ubuntu installer/mint main edition installer have...in case i ever need to re-install LMDE again i would rather NOT manually partition...
For chromium, i solved that one by downloading the actual Google Chrome deb file from Google's site...that way i always get the latest stable edition and updated versions as well...the guy that does the Chromium updates at debian is like turtle slow about getting new versions to debian testing...on LMDE, Chromium from debian is like about 8 months old on the version (6 series) they are in the TEN SERIES now)...

I'm also hoping that Clem adds those friendly auto installer options that the ubuntu installer/mint main edition installer have...in case i ever need to re-install LMDE again i would rather NOT manually partition...

Good call.

Mint could be the next better Ubuntu.....I mean, it already is, but it could be more than just its custom interface on different bases. It could be everything Ubuntu is, its own fork, a fundamentally new system engine with tools that are not identical to Ubuntu or Debian, but based on Debian since its more basic and not buried in crap.


At this point I prefer Ubuntu on machines that can handle it, though the browsers are slow and we have to compensate by using faster less feature rich broswers, and firefox 3 runs faster in Wine than natively .....But I think Clems Debian based system could give Ubuntu a real run for its money in the quality department by only adding a few simple nicities, like the installer (I would suggest the ODLER instaler that Ubuntu no longer uses, or maybe mix it up and add one from a different distro entirely), better support for proprietary VIDEO card drivers, support for tethering with Android in Ad Hoc mode (huge instant niche market), and some other tools that people like including the startup disk creator.

Please remove Ubuntus tracking software. Maybe its no big deal, but to a privacy advocate its always a big deal even if they are not malicious with it, and even if they claim that no specifics are collected.

[craigevil]

Include exoodles,smxi, and inxi.

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 "exoodles" is the multimedia installer script :: to install, do, as root: cd /usr/local/bin; wget -O exoodles ex.505.ru; chmod +x exoodles; exoodles :: or download / start it using smxi -X option: smxi -X exoodles#ex.505.ru - this adds a new option in Post Upgrade Options section: run-exoodles :: Update script with -U option

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Exoodles - Multimedia Installer - Version: 3.9.31 Date: 2010-02-24
------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are the available options for package installs. Please note that each
main application will also get all required codecs and libs added automatically, 
so there's no need to manually install the specific codecs unless you want to.

Exoodles believes that your Debian distribution level is: unstable
and will install packages using the package manager: apt-get

You can return to this main menu to pick from another group to install
more packages, then to exit, just hit the quit number and the script will exit.

There are 3 main types of programs, which will require libraries and packages from the
following desktops, or none, in the case of CLI tools. The amount of libraries required
varies application to application, but you will see what will be added for each package
and can decide whether to install it all or not.
QT/KDE; GTK/Gnome; CLI (command line tools). The script will note which applies. 

Check each subsection for complete package list. 
See exoodles -h for advanced setup help options for some applications.
------------------------------------------------------------------
1 - browsers-internet google chrome, opera, opera beta, java, flash, skype,
    acroread mozilla plugin, mplayer mozilla plugin, vlc mozilla plugin.

2 - codecs-plugins libdvdcss, ffmpeg, flac, gstreamer-plugins, lame, vorbis-tools, w32codecs
3 - editing-authoring brasero, k3b, k9copy, lxdvdrip, mencoder, qdvdauthor, xdvdshrink
4 - media-players-audio aqualung, amarok, audacious, banshee, gmusicbrowser, 
    quod-libet, streamtuner
5 - media-players-video mplayer, kaffeine, vlc, xine
6 - miscellaneous-media abcde, acroread, audacity, evince-gtk, Java, streamripper

7 - quit Exit script.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Please type the appropriate number and hit enter.
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) browsers-internet	4) media-players-audio	7) quit
2) codecs-plugins	5) media-players-video
3) editing-authoring	6) miscellaneous-media

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 "inxi" is inxi is a full featured console system information script (see http://www.inxi.org). To install inxi, do, as root: cd /usr/local/bin && wget -Nc smxi.org/inxi && chmod +x inxi :: then, to make it easy to update, do: chown <username> inxi :: for konvi links see: !inxi-kde4 !inxi-kde3 :: See inxi -h for options :: Arch users: use /usr/bin because /usr/local/bin is not in $PATH

inxi is useful when trying to help with a hardware or driver problem.

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$ inxi -F
System:    Host debian Kernel 2.6.38-2-686 i686 (32 bit) Distro Debian GNU/Linux wheezy/sid
CPU:       Single core Intel Pentium M (-UP-) cache 1024 KB flags (sse sse2) bmips 1196.24 clocked at 600.00 MHz 
Graphics:  Card ATI Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500] X.Org 1.9.5 Res: 1024x768@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer Software Rasterizer GLX Version 2.1 Mesa 7.10 Direct Rendering Yes
Audio:     Card Intel 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller driver Intel ICH at ports 1c00 18c0 BusID: 00:1f.5
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Version 1.0.23
Network:   Card-1 Intel 82801DB PRO/100 VE (MOB) Ethernet Controller driver e100 v: 3.5.24-k2-NAPI at port 8000 BusID: 02:08.0
           Card-2 Intel PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter driver ipw2100 v: git-1.2.2 BusID: 02:02.0
Disks:     HDD Total Size: 17.2GB (79.6% used) 1: /dev/sda IC25N020ATCS04 17.2GB 
Partition: ID:/ size: 16G used: 13G (90%) fs: ext3 ID:/boot size: 228M used: 35M (17%) fs: ext2 
           ID:swap-1 size: 0.51GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 44.0C mobo: 43.0C 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A fan-1: 0 
Info:      Processes 131 Uptime 3:39 Memory 367.6/1263.6MB Runlevel 2 Client Shell inxi 1.4.23 

And most people that have ran Debian or sidux know what smxi is.

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"smxi" is (#1) : do, as root: cd /usr/local/bin && wget smxi.org/smxi.zip && unzip smxi.zip && smxi, or (#2) you can also just download the file and run it, like so: cd /usr/local/bin && wget -Nc smxi.org/smxi && chmod +x smxi && smxi

smxi makes it easy to install ati/nvidia drivers, liquorix kernel, virtualbox-nonose, and quite a few other nifty tasks.

No annoying *buntu apps needed for Debian.

[DrHu]

There are a few things that Ubuntu added to Debian that really made it a lot better. However, there is a lot of crap that ISNT so great.....Pulse Audio is one of them, and now it infected Gnome. It would be nice if XFCE didnt have Pulse

That is the exact problem, Debian is the parent and Ubuntu is the derivative, the derivative shouldn't be telling the parent how to function..

• Unless it is a really really good idea they develop. Have they done that yet ?

[Nick_Djinn]

There are a few things that Ubuntu added to Debian that really made it a lot better. However, there is a lot of crap that ISNT so great.....Pulse Audio is one of them, and now it infected Gnome. It would be nice if XFCE didnt have Pulse

That is the exact problem, Debian is the parent and Ubuntu is the derivative, the derivative shouldn't be telling the parent how to function..

• Unless it is a really really good idea they develop. Have they done that yet ?

Try telling that to my one year old daughter.

Im interested in that tool that makes Debian easier....It seems a little geekier, less noob friendly, but Im willing to try new things.

Yeah, Mint cant tell Ubuntu how to develop, but nothing is stopping them from transplanting only the good and necessary aspects of Ubuntu back onto a Debian base....Of course that is more work than just a new shell or user environment imposed on different operating system engines.