Ninite bulk application installer comes to Linux
A beta of Ninite's bulk installer for Linux, designed to simplify the process of installing applications when first setting up a system, is now available online. Ninite is a service, originally designed for Windows, that allows a user to select a range of applications they want to install through a simple web page. When the selection is complete, the user clicks "Get Installer" and is sent an executable which will automate the process of downloading and installing all the selected packages.
For the Linux beta, rather than an executable file Ninite delivers a custom .deb package which will add the appropriate APT repositories and keys and then download and install the required packages. The .deb file can, of course, be retained for future system installs or re-installations. The beta of Ninite for Linux offers to create a .deb file for Ubuntu which can include Google Chrome, Thunderbird, Pidgin, Skype, Transmission, OpenOffice, GIMP, Inkscape, Picasa, VLC, Banshee, Restricted extras (for codecs), Dropbox, Gnome-Do, Adobe AIR and Wine. Ninite is currently aimed at Ubuntu Linux users and the company is looking for feedback on the beta.
See also:
- Ninite installs multiple apps at once, a report from The H.
(djwm)