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How can the OS autodetect that a user is a newbie and offer help?



Hi all,

I believe that since command-line Linux is hard to learn, Debian should
offer handholding. (This would benefit both Debian users who are new to
the command line and How can the OS autodetect that a user is a newbie
and offer help?

For example, when a person types newbie commands like "help" or "kde"
(which is bound to something already) or the DOS commands "del" or "ren"
(which are not), we should point them to more help. (In case anyone here
has ever watched a real clueless newbie struggle: What are other
commands that 100% clueless newbies often type?)

For example, there are various Linux command-line mode tutorials out
there. There are also the manuals linked to from debian.org. Plus there
are tons of good quick reference cards; I do some tutoring and the one I
recommend most often to my clients is "The One Page Linux Manual".
There's even an interactive Java-based tutorial on the Web (Google for
linux interactive tutorial). There is also our support webpage that
points users to the mailing lists and IRC. Finally, for those without
cheap web access, there are documents such as debian-reference-en and
quick-reference-en, though they're Priority: optional and so unlikely to
be installed.

What would be a good help text to offer when a user types a command that
indicates he/she is a newbie? Also, what package should I file a
wishlist against to request that such help be added?

Regards,
Jason Spiro <jasonspiro4+news@gmail.com>

-- 
The church is near but the road is icy; the bar is far away but I will
walk carefully.
                -- Russian Proverb 



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