At http://news.gnhlug.org/article.php?sid=392 is:
The Frustrated Newbies idea. And closure, if you wish. The thread is rambling around and generally running away from my initial idea. Someone offered to write stuff in support of my idea... Thanks, maybe you still will, but hold that thought for a few minutes. I still have a little spunk in me, so I''ll expend it here. I didn''t need the "RTFM", "RTFB", "Tough it out, son, I did", etc. I asked one LUG for ONE hand, which hand you could in turn extend beyond this one newbie and thus benefit others. Either I''m a poor slacker who is brain dead, or somehow, you people need something to debate. Not here, please. The goal of both that and this post is not just me, people, there are others out there. You decide: Spirit of cooperation or spirit of irritation? Innovate or stagnate? Welcome or exclude? Thus far anything relevant to my post is leading towards a loose "specification". What I initially asked for was an executable and doc setup. What I think this needs to become is outlined in this post (and, hey fellas, if someone knows this already exists, post it!): -Minimum of 1 file, an executable and a possibly built in "backup/ rescue" doc, support for loading subsequent files; -totally CLI based; -Floppy sized executable, interface in the midnight commander style of menu-ing (a 10% lower and 90% upper split, lower screen for typing the command they are reading about); -Help/Rescue/Teach function is simply based on simply selecting a doc, the doc is presenting info in the same way no matter the function (no "operation modes" for the executable aside from maybe reading a text coloring code, if present, and changing display colors according to the code in the document); -The docs will say something like: "Since you have made backups of your critical files, type (whatever - tar -xvzf filename) to restore the configuration files to the version you saved"; -The MC-like interface allows browsing docs in any directory (more later) but defaults to the executables source dirctory so nobody gets lost looking for files over in /usr/bin/local/distant/docs/realdocs/ pseudodocs; -Some docs, possibly also the executable are compressed and docs are decompressed on the fly (but compression function should not make the exeutable overly big), Man pages are standard man pages so nothing special there; -Linkability errors (between docs) are likely when the user doesn''t put a doc in the same directory as the executable directory, allow for that: "xxx doc not found, surf for it, retry, or abort looking for it?", allow directory walking; -To defeat initial doc, press F1 to load a new doc. I''d suggest one explanatory stage as a go-between at the help mode: something to give a few, but not all examples of how to type a command for a specific purpose; then stage 2 is the man pages, possibly linkin keyed to the already highlighted text found in man pages. Goals enforced: -Newbie types all commands themself, and does so for the first and every subsequent time, there is no need for simplification. And no need for a X based GUI. They thus learn the syntax, even to launch this one program from the CLI; -Newbie learns value of backups/restores for the first time in their life; -Newbie can explore deeper help without alienation: keyboard surfing can select a document, they already know how to keyboard surf; -Beloved standard man pages need no editing to add new linking codes; -The executable should determine that the key to a new document is the highlighted text, the user will be pressing a tab key to bounce to the next possible (presumed possible) link Yeah, I''m a complete newbie, but I want people to have power over their powerful PC, just as you all do. I simply cannot write stuff myself (thanks for the offer!). Should I alienate the Linux community by asking for this? Well, am I? I fear the M$ camp has dealt their users a seriously flawed OS paradigm (and it will continue to deal more). Great, if you are pro Linux, but you people are already pulling your hair out with what has already arrived. No matter how many will come or when they arrive, they need a lot of your help just to tell them what to type. Newbies arrive everyday and posssibly many more will come here soon enough. This idea should reduce the workload for everyone. I only ask (and want to see) that this OS can be ready to educate them, if anyone in the community is willing to help. I can''t (yet) write this, and I would if I could; it needs a majority vote and a collaborative effort to proceed from here on. Without further prompting, I''m presently dropping the concept right here. I''ll be watching, but no longer promoting it, since everyone goes wacky over how I am such a slacker for not buying books. Oh, one more thing... Midnight Commander is open source, no? Can this idea start by gutting MC? ***************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the text 'unsubscribe gnhlug' in the message body. *****************************************************************
