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Re: [debian-knoppix] Knoppix-Interview on pctechtalk.com



Hello,

KK: I would ask: What do you expect from an operating system or applications?

They should be able to work on any usual distro. I dislike downloading a simple program and then get told that I need t install a couple of libs before I can actually use it. Sometimes these lib are very tricky to install.

How should software be developed in the future?

In a way that interoperability and easy use is guaranteed. In the Linux world there are so many interfaces and GUIs that it is difficult for a beginner to know how to work in a productive way with the different tyes. E. g. we have x, gnome, K and so on. Please don't get me wrong here, everybody should have the environment one wants/needs. Another thing is the optimazation. I have recognized that the designers make software grow and grow. But with all these nice design effects it takes longer until your program is ready for work. Linux has a good backward compatibility for hardware. This advantage gets torn down through bigger and more designed GUIs.

What are you missing in the available Free Software,
It should be possible to use software more intuitive. Without having read lots of mans, infos and books of docus before being able to work with the task I want to use the computer for. Maybe that is an advantage with the win systems. Their programs look and behave all quite similar. I can transfer what I have learned on one program to onther one. (Advanced users should still be able to work with the command line and thus have the full functionality at their reach.)

and how would you like to change that?

Better Help and HowTo systems/structures. Linux and its programs are very powerful but does that help me if I don't know how to use that power? Think back: When starting to use Linux how long did it take you to understand its philosophy and how many reference books did you read? Were these books really "readable" or just another (technical) documentation like the one you have to read when you wanna repair your washing machine? Users have to be guided when the are new to the system or a program. We would have to consider educational matters and focus more on practical issues. Just describing the structure doesn't show me how to work with it. A good example is the, in my opinion, "The Cookbook" or the help system that comes with lyx.

=> For Knoppix I suggest to include the HowTos and FAQs that are out there on www.knoppix.net on the CD (I know space, space). This could help especially not so much advanced users (one of the target groups were first time users). If someone has a problem connecting to the net he couldn't check the HowTos on the net since he's troubles with connecting to it; and so on with samba, recovering...I like the HowTos on the knoppix.net - they're applicable and useful. And since they're html they're small.

Hoping to help improving
Holger

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