[Apt-Rpm] easy apt script to install recommended pkgs for new distro?

[tonytraductor at linguasos.org]

Greetings, gentle colleagues,

I have built a gnu/linux liveCD distro for professional translators.
It is based on PCLOS/PCFluxboxOS, which uses apt-rpm.
I would like to be able to make a little script to
allow users to add recommended pkgs with a click, after installation
to the hard drive.
I've been using Linux for about 8 years, but I am still not the most
geek proficient user, by any means (shows how easy Linux is getting, when
I can build a distro, no?).

I imagine it would be something like:
! /bin/bash
sudo passwd root
apt-get update
apt-get -y install kdebase firefox thunderbird (etc.)

make the script executable, and then add a menu item to the fluxbox
menu for the user to click and have a go.
I would have the requisite repositories already enabled.
I'm not sure how to deal with the su issue here.
PCLOS uses su/root not sudo (I've been using ubuntu for a while here, until
building this system with PCLOS.  Although, I used to use Fedora, where
root/su was the way to go).

The purpose of said script would be to enable less savvy users to add
recommended apps to the distro.
At the moment, the system is quite lite, with fluxbox and the most important
applications I, and other translators, need most (openoffice.org, omega t, etc.),
but does not include multimedia software, chat software, blah blah blah, that
the user is likely to want, of course.
I've put together a recommended list, and though to simply leave the list in the
documentation with instructions on how to install with synaptic, but, it occurs to
me that making it as easy as clicking a menu item would be ideal.
Obviously, more experienced users are likely to be able to open up synaptic
or a terminal and make these kinds of choices without assistance, and, likely,
may not even choose the apps I am recommending (they may want kontact or evolution,
may choose amarok over rhythmbox or xmms, etc., etc.).

I have joined your list momentarily seeking assistance in configuring such a script.
I believe some distros have something like this already enabled.

Any and all attempts at assistance are appreciated.
BTW, apt is an awesome tool.  You guys rock!
(I left Fedora about a year after they moved to yum and it kept breaking stuff).

thanks,
tony baldwin

--
http://www.LinguasOS.org - Linux for Translators
http://www.baldwinlinguas.com - translating & interpreting