On Tue, 2005-09-20 at 17:56 +1200, Douglas Royds wrote: > >>2. A "General Public" Installfest. This has been mooted at various > times > >>- but hasn't happenned this year. I suspect most epople can't be > >>bothered and this is why it hasn't happenned! Comments? > >> > >> > > > >imho, it hasn't happened simply because all the distributions have > been > >improved so much that it is now quite easy to install Linux. > Now-a-days, > >anybody with more than half a dozen computer oriented brain cells can > do it > >for themselves. ergo no need for the huge fests we used to have when > it was > >actually quite difficult to install Linux and get it going properly. > > > > > Couldn't agree less, I'm sorry Chris. The distro's may indeed be much > improved (I have to take others' words for this, as I'm still a > relative > newcomer), but the overall Linux learning curve remains somewhat > steep.
The truth may be somewhere between these two views. Yes installation is not the major issue it was previously. I think in the past we have concentrated on getting linux to boot, then kicking the punter for touch so that the next punter could be installed. This leaves people with a bit of a learning curve, the steepest part of the learning curve maybe: modem, accelerated graphics, flash, java, a chat program that connects to MSN, printing, accessing windows filesystems (both on the same machine and over the net), adsl, the ipod/palm pilot/usb drives/cameras, video & audio playing, general networking in the punter's own environment, security updates. Remember we are often dealing with people who look blankly when you ask them which web browser/email client they use. If the icon doesn't look like a big blue "e", how the hell can it browse the web? In fact most people don't consciously start their browser, they use a "favourite" that starts their browser. Now that a distro can be installed in under 30 minutes, maybe we should be making sure in any installfest that we do the "finishing touches". How about a room with an hour long tutorial on using your linux desktop, in a separate room, that plays continuously so people can walk in at any stage and participate and watch. How about a real beginners guide printed out - we don't have to write it, just source a whole lot of material off the net and make a booklet. Ok some editorialising may be needed. People STILL like real documentation that they can read without figuring out how to read a pdf on linux, or operate the printer.
