Hidden Linux : Installing groups
tasksel is a useful command for Debian and Ubuntu users because it installs predefined collections of software. Say you're looking at adding video editing tools or a LAMP server (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP). You could install the various components separately by issuing a series of sudo apt-get install commands, or you could just type
sudo taskseland select from the list ...
A large number of collections are available ...
| Basic Ubuntu server Cloud computing cluster Cloud computing node DNS server Edubuntu server LAMP server Mail server OpenSSH server PostgreSQL database Print server Samba file server Tomcat Java server Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (instance) Virtual Machine host 2D/3D creation and editing suite Audio creation and editing suite Edubuntu KDE desktop Edubuntu desktop Kubuntu desktop Kubuntu netbook LADSPA and DSSI audio plugins Large selection of font packages Mythbuntu additional roles Mythbuntu frontend Mythbuntu master backend Mythbuntu slave backend Ubuntu MID edition Ubuntu Netbook Remix Ubuntu desktop Video creation and editing suite Xubuntu desktop Edubuntu live DVD Kubuntu Netbook Edition live CD Kubuntu live CD Kubuntu live DVD Mythbuntu live CD Ubuntu MID live environment Ubuntu Netbook Remix live environment Ubuntu live CD Ubuntu live DVD Xubuntu live CD |
Select with the mouse or spacebar and click OK to install!
| CAUTION! Ubuntu users should not use tasksel to uninstall groups. There's a long-standing bug with it that will uninstall your operating system as well -- a bug I only discovered while trying it out! (Fortunately Linux is a doddle to reinstall, but it still wastes a good half hour.) |
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Comments
At least you could have left this link for your readers to find more details
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Tasksel
Or added this note to your post
["Already-installed tasks will have an asterisk beside their name. Select a task by scrolling down and pressing space. This will put an asterisk beside the selected task and mark it for installation. Removing an asterisk marks the task for removal. Once "ok" is selected the task installations and/or removals will take place using apt-get."]
Posted by: abe | March 24, 2010 2:33 AM
I take your point, Abe. I did consider whether or not to post this and finally decided to do so with the cautionary note. I've seen a number of postings about tasksel that don't mention the "remove" bug -- which is how I got caught out with it in the first place.
I reckon it's better that people are fully informed than inadequately informed.
Geoff
Posted by: Geoff | March 23, 2010 2:22 PM
This is extremely dangerous. I was playing with it on my test system and lost my desktop (Kubutu 9.10 kde 4.4.1). I logged into console mode and was able to re-install what was deleted (the KDE desktop, Nvidia driver etc...)
What happened is I couldn't find a way to exit. The contrast between selection texts and background so bad you can hardly distinguish what is selected. I thought I made sure I had nothing selected except print server and selected OK. It started removing the hell out of everything. This tool has great potential BUT in no way, shape or form, is ready for any one to use. Please remove this article if you are not going to give the users more details.
Posted by: Abe | March 23, 2010 12:20 PM
The CAUTION part is the most important.
Thanks for not missing it.
Posted by: happyjoe | March 23, 2010 10:44 AM