I'd appreciate if you could forward any information you
receive.
Thanks,
--- Jean Pierre
On Wed, 15 Jan 1997, hogendoorn r.a. wrote:
> Is there a document describing the default users and groups,
> like "disk", "cdrom"? I found no references in either the FAQ
> or the policy manual.
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Date:Wed, 15 Jan 1997 10:16:21 -0500
From: Ami Ganguli <ami@ganguli.com>
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edwalter@students.wisc.edu wrote:
> I have felt for some time that a lot of people are
> getting the wrong idea about Linux. I don't think linux is intended
> to be a suitable replacement OS for "computer illiterates" and other
> people who want to put no work into their system, and I hope linux
> developers are not trying to make it that.
But what's the difference between an OS for computer illiterates (like
NT or NextStep) and an OS for computer gurus (like Linux - for now)?
They all have sophisticated kernels and they can all do fairly powerful
things.
The difference is that different systems concentrate on different
user communities. Unix/Linux has traditionally catered to programmers
and system administrators. These people have jobs that require an in-
depth understanding and interaction with the underlying system.
Hiding the guts of the machine doesn't ease the learning curve, and
actually makes the machine less useful.
NT/Windos/OS2 traditionally cater to office workers who don't care
about how the computer works and don't need to know this in order
to do their jobs. Making them learn system administration is a waste
of their time.
With Debian we have the opportunity to cater to both audiences. We
have a powerful core OS provided by Linus and FSF. Add a simple
setup system that will get a non-computer-literate user going enough
to surf the net. Then you provide more sophisticated users with the
means to install more complex packages (like Web servers, mail routers,
whatever) that they need to do their jobs.
I see no reason why a system can't be developed (over time, we're not
there yet) that allows a novice user to become productive as easily
as Win95 (hopefully more easily), but gives those of us who need to
muck with the internals the opportunity to do so.
> It's a horrible site to see the state that
> a Linux box gets to after 4 to five months of non-administration.
> Linux *is* a unix like system that requires a certain amount of
> administration just like any other unix system.
I don't tend to any of the systems I administer on a "routine" basis.
I spend the extra time initially to automate basic tasks. The machines
notify me (by mail) if disk space is getting low and they delete their
own log files. I only intervene when there's a problem, and that isn't
very often. And this is with machines that do relatively complex tasks
on networks serving hundreds of people. Surely we can create a system
that a single user who want's to play with MIDI software can use without
having to learn system administration.
> What will the user do in 3 months
> when something goes wrong (as things do inevitably happen)? He or she
> might not even know where to begin looking let alone be able to fix
> the problem.
The same thing the user would do with Win95. Call somebody who does
know the answer and if necessary pay them to fix it.
I think in general your comments about the nature of Unix/Linux are
correct. This isn't a system you can use without knowing something
about how it works. But I don't think this property is essential to
it's power. Over time it can evolve into an OS for regular people and
Debian lays some of the groundwork that will make this possible. It's
and "enabling technology", as they say.
Regards...
... Ami.
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