SEUL: User Profiles (?)

[Greg Bell <winston@atlantic.net>]

Michael Graber wrote:
> 
>         I agree with Greg's observation.
            ^^^^^
 Thank you for that :-)

 
1) Who (_NOT_ HOW) are we targeting this 'distribution' (for lack of
 a better word) at
2) What do we want to provide them with (again, _NOT_ HOW)?    

> Does anyone want to start an outline of a target user?  I've done one,
                               ^^^^^^^
A great idea, this will give us a target to aim for.

> What about an outline of what features or capabilities
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> a system should have once a basic installation is complete?
Yet another great idea, but for the nounce, I think that this should be
secondary to the development of the "User Profile".  Here's my two cents
worth:

A new Linux user:

1) has had computer experience, most notabaly with DOS/WIN/S7 (DWS)
2) knows little or nothing about how an operating system works.
3) has had little or no experience with *NIX
4) has a "cutting edge" type of computer 
  (to any/all MAC users provide info please)
   By cutting edge I mean (looking at the latest catalog)
   cpu: Pentium level
   memory: 16 MB
   video: Advanced 3d type card (Matrox, S3 ViRGE, etc)
   moniter: VGA, 14 inch
   modem: 28.8 bps w/fax
   HD: >1.0 GB
   sound card
   CD-ROM
    In case your interested this discribes a $949 system (less moniter)
    that Tiger Direct is advertising
5) has little or no experience with programming
6) doesn't know what a command line is or what a shell is
7) just wants to play around with the new OS and see what it does

This is my general impression of the user that would install Linux for
the first time {damn pretty much discribes myself about 4 years ago :)}

Now as for the second outline, what features should be installed:

I know from my own experiences that when Linux is first installed the
user is presented with a hodgepodge of options (meny of which he has no
knowledge of what they do).  Let's just look at a 'normal' installation
(for this I am going by memory of my last install of Slackware).  During
installation the user is presented with weather or not to install 3
versions of C, TEX, Emacs, VI, JOE, JOVE, Fortran, Lisp, ADA(?) in other
words the user in inundated with selections.  How about a 'directed'
installation.  For example, if the user wanted to program install C,
with the option to install Fortran, pascal, et al. 
This idea is not fully fleshed out as of yet (mainly because even after
4 years of playing with Linux I still don't know/remember all of what is
included with a distribution) but I think that you get my general drift.

                         Greg
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