Re: A proposal to improve dselect
> From: Pete Templin <templin@bucknell.edu>
>
>
> On Sat, 11 Jan 1997, Jonas Bofjall wrote:
>
> > No, this is wrong. A new user should not have to read long documents prior
> > to installation. The configure scripts which runs directly after the
> > installation should make reading docs unnecessary.
>
> I disagree. You should understand what you are doing. If you don't even
You shouldn't have to understand so much. (Obviously, the system can't
do everything, but ...)
> want to know what is going and how you are to use it, what is the point of
> having it? Bragging to your friends?
No. Maybe the point is to get the system installed and do some useful work
with it. What's useful to someone might be learning something
other than system installation and configuration.
...
> The installation process is not (necessarily) the place to learn about
> packages. Dselect in particular does not have room (unless you've got
How not? You are installing a system by working with packages. Therefore,
don't you need to know something (no, hopefully not everything) about
packages right then or before?
> some incredible montior and a very long xterm) to give full installation,
> configuration, and operation instructions before or during installation.
> If it did, how would publishers like O'Reilly and Associates be in
> business?
>
> This is the real world. We as humans may have to read a bit and learn a
> bit to use a bit of our toys. Remember, it's JUST a computer.
...loaded up with software written--and packaged--by people.
That packaging should address documentation a bit more.
For example, when I finished the Debian installing-from-diskettes
instructions, it seemed like something was missing. "Okay, what do I
do next?" (It told how to install whatever you wanted with dselect, etc.,
but didn't remind where to go to find the configuration instructions for
various things.)
That installation documentation document should at least point users
to /usr/doc.
Daniel
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