Oops and cover text

[jfm2@club-internet.fr]

When asking opinions about the projected front page it looks I forgot to
include it.



JFM
<ibid>IF Linux is a good thing, then it should be for everyone not just for an elite of technonerds</ibid>


The free software spirit has ever been about sharing, that is why
Independence aims for a Linux usable by everyone.  We will never agree
with those who don't want to share it with those they call the
"unwashed masses".  That is why we will never agree with those who
happily let 95% of computers users at the (little) mercy of Microsoft.

Independence is a <emph>free</free> distribution whose emphasis is in
making Linux usable by everyone.  We aim at a Linux for the desktop, a
Linux for the home user, a Linux for the people who need a system
simple to use because they have to care for themselves from day one
without a teacher or a sysadmin for shooting trouble. 



<H2>Why another distribution</H2>

We believe that both the commercial distributions and the present free
distributions have inherent shortcomings for putting Linux on the
desktop: the business model of commercial distributions naturally
<ref><A>favors the server</A>limits#commercial</A> while the present
free distributions are aristocratic ones made by peole who <b>care
little</b> about putting Linux in the hands of everyone.

That is why Indy aims to be a <emph>free </emph> distribution
<emph>made by users</emph>, because they <ref><A>know
better</A>examples of unadequacies</ref> what are their needs than
those who live in Linux strongholds.  Because they know better than
anyone what were the problems they had and, we hope, will be keener on
trying to avoid them for other people.


<H2>Design goals</H2>

Indy aims to be a distribution who is easy to install, configure and
use.  But it is not so much about flashy installers as about making a
distribution who just works: no important peripheral or function (eg
printing) who is left unconfigured at end of installation.  The user
must be left with operational networking since this is essentail to
get help.  Unassisted beginners make mistakes and have a hard time
figuring what is wrong so Indy aims to be a distribution who is robust
to user mistakes (eg X whould not crash if user has stopped font
server) and where everything is simply right: no mediocre and
incomplete kernel who needs to be recompiled, no parameter to be
configured by the user if it can be deduced.  However Indy should not
be thought as a beginners distribution the user will try to hide from
his girlfriend while moving away from it as soon as possible.  What we
want is Indy becoming a distribution for people whose main interest is
being productive or have fun. If user idea of fun is reading HOWTOs so
be it but we don't want user <emph>having</emph> to lose his valuable
time on this due to Indy' lack of finishing.  And while we are at it
top notch programmers eg Linus tend to use easy distributions since
thye have better things to do than reading HOWTOs and battling config
files so don't be impresed by those people who boast about using
difficult distributions.

Indy does not do demagogics.  Since Indy does not need sales we refuse
to do things who are not in user's best interest or to spend resources
on features of little usefulness but flashy.  In particular we DON'T
want Indy shipping plenty of redundant software: while having ten
window managers (and ten everything) does wonders for distribution
sales, we at Indy think this only confuses the user (after all he will
only use one) and it also increases the chances he will stumble upon
mediocre, buggy or user hostile software who will give a bad
impression of Linux.  In an ideal world for eack task there would be a
program who would be best on all criterias so Indy would ship only
this one.  Thus instead of having redundant software in Indy we prefer
covering a wider set of needs, but if we have to choose we prefer less
applications with any manual and tutorials available so the user can
get the most of them.

Linux will go nowhere as people think in it as just a boring server
who is basically useless for 95% of computer users.  We aim at a Linux
who can help the user with his problems in real life (eg managing hios
checkbook), help his child at school, view movies, exert his
creativity in multimedia and graphics, do office worka and of course
play games.  What we want is Indy users never needing to reboot
Windows.


<H2>We need <emph>you</emph></H2>

Independence is a grass roots project, what it can do depends on what
people do for it.  Even if you are not a programmer you can help
since there are plenty of tasks for non-programmers.  What really
matters is not programming skill but a genuine desire to help the
Linux cause.  If you dislike having 95% of computer users being
trapped in Windows, if you would like to do something about it then
join the Independence group.