Re: Gone for a week, and look what happens... :-)

[jfm2@club-internet.fr]

> From: "Sharp, Lee" <Lee@PeakUSA.com>
> 
>    On GUI installs...  They make new users more comfortable.  They take
> away fear...  Is there some reason we cannot start a VGA 320x240 Xserver
> for install?  This distribution is supposed to be for the lowest common
> denominator, and they seem to want a GUI install.  How feasible is it to
> grab one?
> 

Problem is people.  For now I don't have enough to spare on this.  The
little I have is better used in adding functionality either on install
proper or later on the "what happens after" part.  In addition there
are several toolkits who don't work with the 4bpp provided by VGA.

>    On favored applications...  If it doesn't install automagically, it
> isn't there.  This is the case for ALL new users.  They won't go looking
> for "it" because they don't know "it" is missing.  I spent a lot of time
> looking for the cool apps everyone was talking about, and couldn't find
> them.  Until I looked on the CD...  Ohhh....  We need to either make
> them all options in the install, or have a "Inde Cool Apps" checkbox.
> 

0.1 has the problem most of the cool apps are not in the Categories
  when you install so unless you select invidual packages they will be
  left out.  I really need to write that perl script allowing to build
  a comps file automatically.

>    More on favored apps...  If there is a big letter button, people will
> press it for e-mail.  If we want to have a different e-mail program, it
> need to come up when you press that big letter button.
> 
>    On location-o-centric thinking...  We are all guilty of this.  It is
> a tough habit to break.  We will have to break it.  Myself included...
> We will need help breaking it.  Kind help is better. :-)
> 
>    On packages...  The only thing a user cares about is installing
> "there" package.  The Betamax argument is correct...  It does not matter
> how "cool" the VCR is if it has no movies.  I am not sure of the
> feasibility of this, but is there some way for Deban to use RPMs, and
> Red Hat to use APT?  If not, I have to vote for RPMs.
> 

It is possible with "alien" but tht does not mean it is clean.  For
instance install scripts are not executed (or weren't).  But the
problem was not contributing packages but taking Debian as base and my
feel is that end users buy distribs in end users stores so if you
propose something incompatibe with the distribs they find in these
stores then you are useless.

In addition, and specially for end users, there are and will be areas
where there is no decent free software, so you have two choices: base
on the distrib the people of commercial software is basing or tell the
guy to go Windows (hell if you prefer).

-- 
			Jean Francois Martinez

Project Independence: Linux for the Masses
http://www.independence.seul.org