Package: debian-installer-manual Here is something that deserves more that just a place in ML archive.
On Mon, Sep 27, 2004 at 02:00:22AM +0200, maks attems wrote: > > 1 Description of the test > a) Short description of the test user > > The female test user is a 30 year old usability engineer with > a master in media technology and design. > > b) Short description of the test setup > > The test setup is on a home network with a Linux box providing > Nat and dhcp (no proxy). The install box is a dual boot machine > where a GNU Linux system (Slackware) is to be replaced, an old > Lexmark Z31 printer is attached. This system is on the second > partition of the second hard disc. > For hardware details look at bug #273568. > > > 2 Question on the test user about his level of experience > a) Linux experience of the test user > > The test user had already installed a Suse box for testing > purpose 5 years ago, then used Red Hat. > Due to dislikes of its logo and a friend recommendation > switched to Slackware. > This installation were dual boot and rarely used. > Due to the "Unix severity" of Slackware and not working > hardware (sound and printer) it was rarely used. > Sometimes for surfing and for latex typesetting. > > b) Debian experience of the test user > > Zero. > > c) Free software experience of the test user > > Daily use of Mozilla as browser and mailer. > Sometimes Openoffice, Latex and Gimp. > > d) Expectations regarding Debian > > Easy upgrades and installations of software. > Easier to maintain than Slackware. > Hopefully to be able to print. > > e) Expectations of the Debian-installer (short d-i) > > "Better than what i already know", > as usability test have already influenced its user interface. > > Never the less the test user expected problems. > Not everything working from the start. > > > 3 d-i installation manual. > > The test user is given time to read the manual in order to help > her on her decisions, remarks are noted below. The manual was > available during installation on a nearby laptop. > > The user goes directly to chapter 3, > as she's already running Linux thus assuming that the > "System Requirements" will be no problem. > > in chapter 3.1 user stumbles over > "Back up any existing data or documents on the hard disk where you plan to > install." > The user thinks only the one partition to be affected and > that there will be no consequences for other partitions on > the same disc. > as she is thinking to be using the same partition, > where there is already a Linux she thinks no backup is needed. > The user is asked to reread this phrase, but doesn't understand > implications. > > In 3.2 the "non-native operating system" is not understood. > > The test user doesn't know the UNIX device naming. > Has problems to understand the order of hard disc and partitions. > The concerning explanation is not linked from 3.3.2 > "Finding Sources of Hardware Information" > > (Pamela Jones maintains a nice chapter on the topic of partitions. > maybe her ideas could enhance current manual: > http://www.grokdoc.net/index.php/General_Installation ) > > After recommandation by test observer data is backuped. > > The user writes down the needed information. > > > 4. The installation process with d-i > > The test user chooses english, as country austria, > german as keyboard layout. > > Stumbles over configuring the hostname. > The default entry "Debian" seems misleading, wants to append > a string to that. > Takes some time to clear this default and to type in her wish. > > Stumbles on the screen concerning the domainname. > Doesn't understand what it is used for. > There is no explanation that for a home network > it may be a good idea to leave it blank. > User tries with blank. > > The partitioner comes up with the choice of erasing each > of the 2 hard discs or to manually edit the partition table. > Well the first 2 choices don't fit the users task. > So she has to manually edit it's table. The user is upset > that the installer doesn't have an automatic guided > partitioning based on the choice of her 3 partitions. > The user doesn't really feel up to edit the partition table. > > Finally as she doesn't want to erase any whole disc, > she goes further. hdb2 is chosen in partman. > "Do not use it" is presented as option. > "What shall i do to change that?" > "Shall i press enter?" "Oooh" > "yes i want to format that partition. Ok choosing ext3" > It may be a good choice but no information on the top > of the screen regarding the fs choice. > > The next step is to choose the mount point of the partition. > The user doesn't understand its meaning. > This template has again no explanations on its top. > The manual 6.3 is consulted. It has no explanations about > a mountpoint. It explains that partman assigns mountpoints, > but not what they are for. > The observers help is necessary to continue the installation, > although user guesses right choice: '/'. > > The template regarding the label is again without any > explanations on its top, nor does manual 6.3 have any > explanation. > The top choice is chosen. > > The chosen partition is formatted and the partitioner > continues with a successful base install. > Grub says to have detected another Operating System, > but its install fails (bug #273568). > The user tries it a second time, but it doesn't work. > Therefore lilo is installed on the mbr of the fist disc. > > As the Debconf priority is lowered by aboves error, > the observer asked the test user to rise it's priority > level. The tester would have wished to land directly > on this choice as the failed step was successfully > overcome with the lower priority. > Machine reboots successfully. > > The user does not understand the timezone screen: her > computer clock is set to gmt as the bios is reporting > utc timezone, but the shown time is the current > West European summer time. > The user asks the observer what to do. > Again this step has to be regarded as failed. > The screen has nice explanations, but they seem not to > have helped in this conflicting case. > > The root password and user is successfully created. > But after its creation the user times lots of <tab> > before next template shows up. > The user is confused as the next template has no > default choice. > Nevertheless apt is configured successfully. > The user is a bit upset to be reasked the same question > he already answered for the initial apt configuration. > > In tasksel the user does not understand how to choose > the tasks. The manual is consulted, but 7.2.5 does > not explain how to select a task. > A short notice on top of the screen concerning the > <space> key to select a task would be very helpful. > Again the install can be counted as failed as the > test user has to ask the observer to fulfill this step. > > Manual 7.2.5 is consulted again in order to know if > the selected collection of software will be retained > on "manual package selection". The manual has no entry > on that question. > > "Desktop environment", "Web Server", "Print Server", > "SQL database" and "manual package selection" was chosen. > > In aptitude the strings "Download/Install/Remove Pkgs" > invites the user to press g in order to remove kdebase, > as the user prefers Gnome as desktop and saw no need > of the second. Aptitudes reactions to perform all pending > actions was not the anticipated action. The user is upset > about the misleading string. > > The user performs the short exim configuration for local > delivery and leaves the name for the samba workstation blank. > > The xfree configuration doesn't ask for a keyboard, > which is improperly set, but does ask for the video card. > The user has no idea that mga stands for Matrox. > This step of the install can be counted as failed. > The automatic mouse detection fails, and a very nice screen > about the difference of mouse connectors shows up. > The user is very pleased. The next screen puts the user > in front of all the different UNIX mice devices without any > further explanation, which the user regards as rude and > disappointing. > The user does not know what the options mean. > This step can be again counted as failed. > For the mouse protocol the user chooses the one > that matches it's logitech serial mouse manufacturer. > In fact the mouse does use another one, so it did not work. > > Aptitude asked to push enter to continue after having > installed all packages. "Not a very shiny screen." > The templates of aptitude are perceived as unpolished > and very different to the previous screens of d-i. > > After the welcome of the successful install, > gnome starts with a completely broken resolution and broken mouse. > The xfree config is fixed up manually. > > The user is successfully using it's fresh Debian install. > The printer was sucessfully configured with the help of foomatic-gui. > Software installs were noted to be quicker than on windows. > The user found it very compelling that Debian is unifying > all the different software in its package archives. > > > 5. Conclusions > > The manual was quite good, but yet left many questions > unanswered. > The d-i did a very good job concerning > network setup, ide and cd detection on that install, but failed > on the package selection and on the xfree configuration. *) > The partitioner was found to be very hard to understand, > as many templates had no explanations. > The level of needed expertise of the user (human-readable > information and helpful explanations vs. technical terms > and abbreviations, missing background information) > differs considerably between the screens. > Short meaningful explanations and an updated manual would > already help a lot. > > > > The test person and the test observer hope that aboves > usability test helps the developers to further confine d-i > and to make an even better user experience for novel users. > The test was done in the manner of well established usability > testing methods. Some may follow the next months > and i will link this posting to the usability community > effort at grokdoc. > Further questions are welcome. > > > > > -- > maks > kernel janitor http://janitor.kernelnewbies.org/ > > > *) I know that the current xfree setup is not part of d-i itself, > nevertheless, it would be great if the current hooks of d-i > (keyboard setup, ..) would be extended to the other important > parts of Debian (apt, xfree86) as from a user point of view > they are perceived to be part of the installer. I hope that some one picks the good parts from it. Geert Stappers -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
