Re: [UUG/MLUG] getting Linux to the "million idiots"

[Andrew Procter <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Fri, 10 Dec 1999, Jason McIntosh wrote:

> I'm very upbeat about linux as well.  Setting it up for use as a server.
> However, it has been (in general, imho) not as easy to install and support
> errors, devices, etc. inside of Linux as it has been with Windows.  It's a
  ^^^^^^
It's very easy to install errors in Windows. :)
Seriously though, two points.  I've participated in both a Caldera Linux
install and a Windows install, and I have to say the Windows install was
a bigger headache.  The main point, though, is that most of the users
we're talking about don't install Windows -- it comes on their PCs (For
free!  Heehee).  If they use the computer heavily enough they may have to
reinstall, but I'm not sure the chances that they actually do the
reinstall themselves are that high.
One more thing about installation: Our P2 dual boots and I was the only
one that ever used Linux, when I wanted to get my ass kicked in Starcraft
once in a blue moon.  After a total of about 10 hours of actual use I had
to reinstall it to get it to stop misbehaving.  I haven't had to
reinstall psyduck at all since I got it, and the only reason I've wanted
to is to try SuSE instead of Red Hat -- not because a bug was preventing
me from gaming.  Even if you consider Windows installs easier, how many
times do you want to do them?

[snip]
> whole different learning curve and style of OS, that most people are totally
> unfamiliar with.  We're going to have to deal with that for a while.  Yes, a

That's a good point.  However, you can set X up to run right away, and
there are a few window managers that do a pretty good job of ripping
Windows off.  That way users coming from Windows can use an interface with
which they're more or less familiar, and new users have more interface
choices to begin with.  Granted, lots of choices might look intimidating,
but I think if a distribution's install program handled that well it could
seem... well, less so.

[snip]
> I personally
> think that before Linux can be put on general desktop use, it needs a much
> better installation program for programs downloaded/picked up from CD's, OS
  ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^
Amen.  Are there any GOOD graphical tools out there that handle RPMs,
tars, gzs, bz2s, etc well?  And I think Loki made a CD install wizard
program, it's just a matter of people putting it on their commercial
software.

[snip]
> People (IMHO, all of this) want to be able to do everything by a
> simple mouse click, have it work well, (not perfectly, or MS wouldn't even
  ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^
There are lots of tools to idiot-proof Linux stuff, it's just no one major
distribution uses them very well.
Of course, anyone can make a distribution, I guess.  Maybe we should make
an MLUG Linux distribution and give it out at installathons and stuff? ;)
Hmm, that might not be a bad idea...

Okay, this e-mail has definitely gone long enough.

+-----------------------------------------
| Andrew Procter (EMAIL:PROTECTED)
| "If your hands are so empty, would you
| hold this for me?"
|				   --Jubei