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I think we can all agree that this has become a canonical question: How to install Android Studio on Ubuntu?

I would like to create my own, better version.

If I were to do so, would the community be okay with changing which question we use for dupes of installing Android Studio?

Here's why I'd like to create an entirely new question and answer:

The current best-voted answer:

  • Won't work for 64-bit Ubuntu because it doesn't mention that you have to install the 32-bit libs

  • Says to add a PPA to get Java, and AFAIK Android Studio now bundles a JDK, so you wouldn't even need to get Java

  • Lists a long procedure for creating a .desktop file, when there is already an option to create one automatically from within Android Studio's main menu

  • Doesn't mention you should download the separate SDK package

FYI, I'd be okay with making the answer a community wiki if everyone really wants that; rep farming isn't my intent, although I wouldn't mind some extra rep :)

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  • 5
    What about adding another answer on that question?
    – Anwar
    Oct 26, 2016 at 19:02
  • Firstly, it is really arrogant to assume your answer will be the best. Basically you are saying "I don't want to compete with the other answers, my answer is so good that the other question can just be closed and send all the votes to me". That is not how the site works, you can answer the question if you want and if the answer is taht good, you don't need to think about the others, you will get votes anyway.
    – Mark Kirby
    Oct 26, 2016 at 20:00
  • @MarkKirby - No, it's not like that at all. It's just that I don't think anybody will ever bother to even try my answer if it's buried at the very bottom. :(
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Oct 26, 2016 at 20:05
  • Then it is exactly like that, you don't want to compete. Can you give a reason why your answer is so good, a whole new question need to be created? That is the angle you need to come at this form, you need to justify a whole new question, at the expense of closing a very popular one. "It's just that I don't think anybody will ever bother to even try my answer if it's buried at the very bottom." You are wrong, your answer is the newest, many people will look for up to date answers over high voted ones. I have added to old questions and made good rep.
    – Mark Kirby
    Oct 26, 2016 at 20:10
  • @MarkKirby - I'm not trying to rep farm. But the current highest-voted answer is wrong on many counts, the biggest of which is it won't even work for 64-bit Ubuntu.
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Oct 26, 2016 at 20:13
  • Then you need to explain all that in your post and give good detail why your answer would be better. If answers are objectively wrong, you can ask mods to remove them, no one wants wrong answers.
    – Mark Kirby
    Oct 26, 2016 at 20:15
  • That was a really lazy edit, not exactly going to get your point across. You need to give details of WHY the other answers are wrong and should be removed or the question needs to be closed.
    – Mark Kirby
    Oct 26, 2016 at 20:20
  • @MarkKirby - I know, I'm working on a better edit as I type this.
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Oct 26, 2016 at 20:22
  • @MarkKirby - See updated post.
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Oct 26, 2016 at 20:26
  • Hey, where is your answer? I went to look for it to see if it was worth upvoting, but coulnd't find anything!
    – Fabby
    Nov 1, 2016 at 20:55
  • @Fabby - I haven't finished it yet. It's going to be very high-quality with lots of screenshots and everything, but I've been really busy, so I haven't had much time to work on it. I'll ping you with the link when it is done though :)
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Nov 1, 2016 at 22:32
  • @AndroidDev: Good! ;-)
    – Fabby
    Nov 2, 2016 at 6:51

2 Answers 2

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My personal take - I don't think it's the right way to go. That post has been worked on by many folks and has lots of votes and views and is going to be found by searches and so on.

It seems to me that the way to do things (and what seems to be the way it works in general) is to make the canonical post as good as possible. If there are problems with the current answers, then, edit & update them, flag them, comment on them. If you think a new answer is needed, then write one and let it gather votes as it should if it's superior, or offer a bounty (or find someone with more points to spare and persuade them it's necessary) to get more attention?

TL;DR

The canonical post is a community effort, and as such deserves care and respect, and I'm inclined to favour it over a hypothetical unilateral effort. Let's not abandon that post & that effort and start over just because it's not perfect - let's make it better instead?

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  • But I thought edits that deviated too much from the author's original version are frowned upon?
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Oct 26, 2016 at 21:01
  • @AndroidDev well, yes, but you could make your edits low-impact by adding update notes and options rather than replacing anything. But in this case, the authors of the top two posts are both fairly active I think - you could comment (draw their attention to your question here?) and suggest improvements.
    – Zanna Mod
    Oct 26, 2016 at 21:06
  • Well, I'd rather write my own answer from scratch. I'll wait for some more opinions, but I think that's what I'll do.
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Oct 26, 2016 at 21:08
  • I think that's fine, make sure to ping me so I can upvote it @AndroidDev :)
    – Zanna Mod
    Oct 26, 2016 at 21:09
  • Thanks, that's a really nice gesture :)
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Oct 26, 2016 at 21:10
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I would just fix the answer.

It has 140k+ views and the top answer has the user installing a PPA. Our primary job is to make the internet suck less for Ubuntu users, so let's make the answer suck less, what's wrong with just adding the right fixes?

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