Re: Debian For The People
> From: Michael Stutz <stutz@dsl.org>
> ...
> 1. Installation. dselect has sure come a long way. But installation and
> package maintenance is still not so easy, especially for the novice or Linux
> newbie. The keystrokes are sometimes confusing, as are some of the messages
> (especially when a package is listed as "broken" but appears to work fine).
Deciding which packages to install probably is also a complexity for
new users. Maybe the previously-mentioned ideas of standard setups would
be good, or maybe a higher-level grouping of packages might be good.
(Newbie users could install chunks of packages instead of individual
packages; there'd be less detail in general and fewer interactions to
deal with. It's hard to decide which packages to install when you don't
really know what they do.)
> 2. Comprehensive documentation and "best practices." There is plenty of
> excellent Linux documentation out there and more being written right now,
> but where does one start? It would probably be a function of the
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I think: Exactly!
> distribution to provide pointers to helpful documentation. For us, the Linux
> Documentation Project and netnews are sufficient, but what about the newbie
> who has no interest in administration, which is what we're talking about
> here? ...
<insert same cheerleading comment here>
> Also, would a document of "best practices" be useful for newbies? This might
> be necessary because the Linux/GNU world is different from what a newbie is
> probably used to. The idea of small tools who do their job well and can
> interact with each other to form a larger whole, a staple bit of UNIX
> philosophy, is foreign to them. They're used to a few monolithic
> special-case applications with names like "word processor," "spreadsheet,"
> "desktop publishing." So when the new user is sitting there looking at her X
(Hey, watch that _ex_clusive language.)
> console, how does she, say, compose a letter and print it out? Use TeX? How?
> How to maintain a database of names and addresses and print them to labels
> for a mass mailing? Or create a simple flyer with a clip-art image and a few
> fonts?
That "best practices" document would be good even for somewhat-experienced
users who aren't up to date on the latest Linux (or Unix in general) stuff,
or don't know which of many possibilities was chosen in a particular
distribution.
> Not difficult tasks for someone familiar with Linux/GNU, but how would a new
> user utilize all the powerful software her system is now running? Like the
> development of Linux itself, I think the answer to this lies in using the
> net -- be it some kind of web site/search engine with a new interface or
> whatever, we need some way of compiling all our best practices/techniques
> and whatnot and making it easily accessible. Not just searching through a
> huge database but there needs to be some kind of categorization to the mess.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Organization!--that is, not just categorization of existing documentation,
but conscious organization of it, probably in a "Okay, So You've Installed
Your Basic Linux System; Now What Can/Do You Do With It?" guide that points
to other information, but organized logically.
(Maybe the LDP documents cover most of that, in which case a smaller guide
pointing to them, and noting Debian differences (and pointing to their
full documentation) would be good.)
> 3. Administration. ...
>
> 4. Awareness. ...
> Michael Stutz | DESIGN SCIENCE LABS
> http://dsl.org/m | Hypermedia, Internet,
> Linux/GNU bumper stickers,indie rock,rants | Linux: http://dsl.org
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hmmm....
Daniel
--
Daniel S. Barclay Compass Design Automation, Inc.
daniel@compass-da.com Suite 100, 5457 Twin Knolls Rd. Columbia, MD 21045 USA
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