> 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. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Suite 100, 5457 Twin Knolls Rd. Columbia, MD 21045 USA -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]