Linux support is more community minded that anything else. There's no phone number (generally) for someone to call for assistance. You'd ask questions here, and we'd help where we could.
For non-tech people, especially frustrated non-tech people, which is the category you're moving into (from the sound of previous posts), I'd recommend Knoppix. It's a non-committal way to test out Linux. You load your windows machine up, download it, burn it, put it into your CDR, and reboot. When it comes up, it'll be running a completed Linux distro. You can play with it a bit, and see if it's "for you" from there. If it is, then I'd suggest starting with Red Hat, Mandrake or Suse. Red Hat is the best documented, both in print, and on the web, PLUS, almost every Linux user has seen Red Hat at one time or another so I'd put them first. Mandrake is probably most common distro among the people on this mailing list, so it'll be the easiest for people to help you with, Put that second. I've heard lots of good things about Suse, and it's by far the most popular distro in Europe, so I'd say that would be my third choice. I'll bite on what reads like a troll, but is probably just frustration. Non-technical people should use Linux because once running, it just works. Technical or not, you're here because you're dissatisfied with Windows. Linux has a learning curve, you should understand that right off the bat. But the truth is, once you've learnt the basics, you'll have a system that you like better because it doesn't make the assumption that you are a moron. Microsoft's Paperclip helper might be fine the first time he interrupts your work; in fact he might even be helpful; but after about the 10th, you want him gone, but you can't get rid of him (unless you pay for an upgrade to a different version of Office). Linux doesn't hold you hand right off the bat. You will end up asking for help here or somewhere like this. But in the end, YOU will know how to do the work, you won't rely on some idiotic, irritating paperclip to do it for you. That might seem inconsequential, but it isn't. The paperclip is meant to be helpful, and it often is. I'll ignore the annoying side for now, the real problem is that it (and most Windows products) are overly idiot friendly. This is great in the beginning, but it ends up being a bad thing. Think of it like this. If you were wanting to learn chess, and I offered to help, that would be gsound great. Initially, I'd help by advising you on all your moves. After a few games though, you'd want to make the moves on your own, and my making every move on your behalf would become annoying. After LOTS of games, you wouldn't want to learn about chess because every time you played, I did everything for you. It would be better for you to be able to make your own moves, even if it meant mistakes, because learning is as important as winning. Windows has lots of Wizards looking over your shoulder. Linux has few if any. Linux means that if you need help, you need to turn to other people, and ask for help. Some people find that hard at first, but the reality is, we were all new once, and none of us know it all. In the end, you will know more you would if a wizard helped. That sounds a bit eliteist, but it isn't. Knowing Linux will actually help you learn Windows, Mac's OS X, Your PlayStation, and almost every other computer you'll encounter. The reason is that rather than learning to click in the right place at the right time, you'll learn how the underlying pieces fit together and interact. If you know how to point and click, you need to relearn it every time you change OSes. Lastly, non-technical people generally underestimate themselves. I'm sure you can run a TV/VCR/Microwave/Playstation/Calculator/Cell Phone/etc without any problem. People think they don't know how to work a computer because they place the blame in the wrong place when their PC crashes. Keep this in mind. The problem is the PC, not you. That includes Linux. There will be times that it crashes, or is too difficult or whatever, that's a problem with the Operating System, not with the user. Those other computers don't crash, why does your PC? I'd answer, but this is long enough already. Kev. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pat Roche" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 6:58 PM Subject: (clug-talk) should non-techies avoid Linux? > > After an unsuccessful weekend struggle to get Red Hat 8 working properly, I'd like to hear the views of this technically adept group on whether non-technical people > should attempt Linux at all? > > Should someone who doesn't have the technical aptitude to do his own troubleshooting avoid Linux until it becomes less problem-prone (e.g., Jesse's recently posted > headache with Mandrake 9.0? > > If your answer is "go for it anyway," which distro would you recommend? > > And do you have a phone number I can call when I run into trouble? > > Pat Roche > > > >
