[Fwd: Re: Why?]
Err. Didn't reply to list.
-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Owen Heisler <owenh000@gmail.com>
Reply-To: owenh000@gmail.com
To: Paul E Condon <pecondon@mesanetworks.net>
Subject: Re: Why?
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 13:01:55 -0500
On Fri, 2006-07-14 at 10:31 -0600, Paul E Condon wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 14, 2006 at 10:40:07AM +0200, Johannes Wiedersich wrote:
> > Paul E Condon wrote:
> > >But some posters to this thread seem to be unaware that selecting
> > >"Desk top" during install of Debian causes -both- kde -and- gnome to
> > >be installed. So, I believe almost all of those newbies about whom we
> > >are genuinely concerned already have both on their computer. And
> > >-both- gdm -and- kdm can be told to start up either kdm or gnome.
> > >(xdm doesn't seem to have this feature.)
> >
> > Yes, but still I believe the question should be asked. Newbies don't
> > know there is a choice and find themselves in default gnome before they
> > have a chance to decide. Experts have to know that they manually have to
> > select kde before they log in.
> >
> > I don't remember how often I sat in front of a newly installed computer,
> > thoughtlessly entering username and password, accidentially starting
> > gnome, switching to the console, removing all the autogenerated gnome
> > config files, selecting kde or xfce and logging in again....
> >
> > It certainly isn't an unnecessary question to be asked on installation!
>
> Strictly speaking, it is unnecessary. The installation gets done successfully
> without it being asked. A more appropriate question might be, it is useful?
> For a real newbie, the idea that there different competing user interfaces is
> a real mind bender. For a person like you who knows about it and knows what
> he wants, the question would be a useful reminder to choose now what you will
> otherwise choose later. I also like helpful reminders to do things that I
> know I want to have done, but does this outrank making the install interface
> OK for real first-time dummies? These dummies often have good communication
> skills and write good letters to this list asking really dumb questions,
> which sometimes trigger really nasty flames from some of us. Bad! I say
> let's keep it simple. But that's just my opinion.
This all seems to be about questions in the installer, but all the
installer really does (at least for me) is set up a minimal Debian
system. I think the tasksel that the installer uses (that's it, right?)
is so simple that it is useless, but I don't want to use it anyway. I
will use my preferred method of package management to install other junk
later. For the newbie, this would be aptitude ran from base-config.
My opinion is that the installer should be kept simple, excluding
package selection. The installer sets up a minimal system, and other
packages are added later using other software. /This/ software can be
set up to be newbie-friendly. Their are way too many options for
packages for any of it to be incorporated into the installer.
$0.02 from Owen
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