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http://ninite.com http://ninite.com is getting close to apt-get for Windows. We're working on a Mac version too. Things are better on Linux, but not all rosy.

by swies 16y ago

http://ninite.com http://ninite.com is getting close to apt-get for Windows. We're working on a Mac version too. Things are better on Linux, but not all rosy. Installing Dropbox, for example, is a surprisingly crappy experience (windows popping up, separate proprietary daemon download, etc). That, and way more user requests than you'd imagine, is why we have http://ninite.com/linux http://ninite.com/linux now too.

IgorPartola 16y ago
Certainly looks promising. For some reason it reminds me of Portable Apps. As for Dropbox, yes, I recently went through installing it. Terrible experience on Ubuntu. I think the reason is mostly that it is using a proprietary daemon. A FUSE driver seems like a much better idea, and if they released it under an open license, it would be as easy as apt-get install dropbox.
- wyclif 16y ago
  I've had nothing but a completely smooth experience with Dropbox on Ubuntu. YMMV?
  - IgorPartola 16y ago
    I tried to set up Dropbox without any sort of a GUI. I know that their .deb package is partially an extension to Nautilus, and since I run Xubuntu I don't have that installed. Instead I followed the poorly written instructions at http://wiki.dropbox.com/TipsAndTricks/TextBasedLinuxInstall http://wiki.dropbox.com/TipsAndTricks/TextBasedLinuxInstall which resulted in a .py file being invoked via ~/.profile which still creates a GUI window to ask you for your information, etc. Why not have a standard daemon with a ready-made init.d script rather than this madness?
robgough 16y ago
I use ninite all the time (it's brilliant!), but only ever for initial installation. Does it handle updating apps?
- swies 16y ago
  Yes, just run the installer again (they always get the latest versions, regardless of when they were made). We're looking into building some sort of dedicated update checker too. Glad to hear you like it.

by swies 16y ago

IgorPartola 16y ago

Certainly looks promising. For some reason it reminds me of Portable Apps. As for Dropbox, yes, I recently went through installing it. Terrible experience on Ubuntu. I think the reason is mostly that it is using a proprietary daemon. A FUSE driver seems like a much better idea, and if they released it under an open license, it would be as easy as apt-get install dropbox.

wyclif 16y ago
I've had nothing but a completely smooth experience with Dropbox on Ubuntu. YMMV?
- IgorPartola 16y ago
  I tried to set up Dropbox without any sort of a GUI. I know that their .deb package is partially an extension to Nautilus, and since I run Xubuntu I don't have that installed. Instead I followed the poorly written instructions at http://wiki.dropbox.com/TipsAndTricks/TextBasedLinuxInstall http://wiki.dropbox.com/TipsAndTricks/TextBasedLinuxInstall which resulted in a .py file being invoked via ~/.profile which still creates a GUI window to ask you for your information, etc. Why not have a standard daemon with a ready-made init.d script rather than this madness?

robgough 16y ago

I use ninite all the time (it's brilliant!), but only ever for initial installation. Does it handle updating apps?

swies 16y ago
Yes, just run the installer again (they always get the latest versions, regardless of when they were made). We're looking into building some sort of dedicated update checker too. Glad to hear you like it.