Documentation on configuring Debian for desktop use?
I have been using Debian on the desktop for about 8 months now,
starting by knowing almost nothing, to knowing quite a bit. Specially
about configuring it for the Desktop.
Installing Debian (sarge) was pretty easy, thanks to the installation
manual, but once installed I was left with little info on how to
configure it for Desktop use, except the basic things like installing
X and GNOME. But the knowledge on how to really polish everything to
get the best Desktop experience, like you get with GNU distributions
specified for Desktop use, Ubuntu for example, was nowhere to be
found. At least at no central point, instead it's scattered all over
the web, bits of information here and there.
For example, auto mounting of removable storage devices, for about 7
months I have solved this by editing my fstab file to be aware of all
of all the USB ports on my computer. This works but has some
disadvantages, for example it will always show sda1, sda2, sda3, etc..
unmounted in a desktop suit like GNOME, where ideally it would never
be shown unless something is actually connected. Well 1 month ago I
found this http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2004/11/msg00201.html
, it talks about an approach Ubuntu uses for automatic USB/FireWire
device handling, since this was on a debian-devel mailing list I
thought that maybe this had been implemented into Debian.
So I tried removing the lines I added my self to fstab and put my user
into the plugdev group and tried inserting a removable storage device
into one of my USB ports, and what do you think happend? It worked!
What I find disturbing about this is that to find this information I
had to stumble upon it in some mailing list that I might as well never
have found.
I think it's crucial for operating systems like Debian that are
intended for everything from servers to desktops to embedded devices
to have some central point of information for things like this, things
that are going to be done over and over again, so individuals don't
have to search for scattered information all over the web. It will
only lead to many desktops with unpolished desktop systems and "few"
people who actually know most of this stuff.
One thing that indicates something like this is needed are all the
articles on installing and configuring Debian for the desktop, you
could say that these articles are enough but I don't think so. They
are not maintained at all and only contain information one person
knows so it is usually lacking in things here and there.
So what I think is needed is something like the installation manual
but on the topic of desktop use, or a wiki possible. I am aware of the
Debian wiki at http://wiki.debian.net/ and the Debian Desktop wiki
there at http://wiki.debian.net/?DebianDesktop , but only recently
though. This is the most comprehensive guide I have found yet, but it
doesn't have a very good step by step flow of information, needs a bit
of polishing and is incomplete at the moment. I have only been
following this wiki for a very short time so I don't know if it get's
updated/improved allot.
One things which I think might be a good idea is to see how Ubuntu
does things, it's basically Debian very polished for Desktop use,
including some things they have developed I presume. If that approach
is taken it will basically result in a guide how to do manually for
Debian what the Ubuntu default installation does.
I think Debian is a great operating system for desktop use, it's just
not documented very well how to accomplish this.
Well I have shared my thoughts and worries for now, hoping to get some
informing and interesting replies. Hope I'm directing my message to
the right place.. :)
--
Brynjar Harðarson
Email: brynjar@gmail.com
Jabber: brynjarh@jabber.org
MSN: b1nn1@hotmail.com
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