http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/10839/
I have always kept my /home partition separate from the root partition (which I think the Ubuntu partition setup should do as default) so when you re-install ubuntu, all your settings are restored, color-scheme, wallpaper, etc.

After installation, as you re-install the applications you used to have each app picks up it's previous settings with no hassle.

However, although all the settings are still stored, you still have to go through all the applications you had installed previously and re-install them from the package manager.

"My Ubuntu", would be a little application that you run and it would present you with a list of the applications you have installed at the present time. This would not be at the lib or version level, but be at the application name e.g. Gimp, Cheese, i.e. the identifier that would be put in the main menu.

From this list you can de-select any apps you are not interested in and then click a save button, which writes the list to a file in your home folder.

After doing a re-install you then simply have to install "My Ubuntu" (it would be nice if it was installed as default eventually), select the previously saved apps list file and it will then go through and ensure all the apps on the list are installed.






[92 votes] Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #10839


]]> en-us Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:14:27 +0000 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:12:37 +0000 QAPoll module http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/10839/ Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:08:49 +0000
Link broken]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:45:53 +0000 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:34:08 +0000 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:27:52 +0000 program abstraction, instead as a completely new app - something like "save installed software list" and "merge from saved list". Hmm... maybe that last title needs some work ^^]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:57:32 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-get-list-installed-software-reinstallation-restore.html]]> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:19:47 +0000 http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/7515/

Also note that synaptic already offers a GUI way of saving/restoring all installed programs.
cf comments from the idea I mentioned above.
]]> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:23:51 +0000
Simply exporting out the current list (in add remove progs) and being able to import the list again maybe the simplest and quickest solution.

Synaptic is too lower level, I haven't tried http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-get-list-installed-software-reinstallation- restore.html but it's not very user friendly and may again be at too lower level.

It needs to be version independent so it can be used between ubuntu releases as well.

]]> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:54:17 +0000
And those saying synaptic can do it. Honestly. Ask yourself how many users really find synaptic a friendly application.]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:12:37 +0000