Greetings,
First, thanks to all the developers for maintaining the greatest Linux distro
on the planet. You guys are doing wonderful work.
I have a suggestion for a possible future version of Linux-Mandrake, a very
beginner-specific install option that might feature the following:
o Not include having services like inetd, httpd or any other possible (if
however unlikely) security problems running. Most new computer users don't
have a clue what telnet or httpd is, and would have no use for it.
o It could also have a larger than normal "start menu" for beginners to
ensure they are introduced to all the programs available with the distro.
The menu introduced in 7.1 would be pretty suitable. For advanced users,
this would be unneeded bloat, but a boon for newbies.
o Having a default user login like the latest cooker does in the install
o A simplified installation process, where the partitioning and other steps
are hidden from the user; perhaps one question; "would you like to resize
your windows partition to make room for Linux-Mandrake?" and a slider bar for
how much space to make
o A tutorial that opens immediately upon startup, showing how to use the
mouse, how to copy and paste, the really simple stuff that we often assume
the user to know.
o More failsafes, like when KDE (or X) crashes have a daemon that will
detect this and restart it promptly.
Mandrake has been advertised as the "best beginners distribution" and it IS
better than the rest, but it's not always so easy to use from a total
beginner's standpoint. If the point is to make it possible for people to
learn to use the computer without having to pay the Microsoft Tax, we should
give consideration to the computer ignorati.
With Regards,
Matt Steven
--
Matt Steven
Web Automation
GeniusWeb.com
(605)622.7811
And now for the obligatory automatic random signature file quote:
>>=>
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of
the old ones." -- John Cage
<=<<
