Linux-Mandrake should build on features it has already in place. During
install the helpful information at the bottom of the screen could be actually
useful, and should occupy more of the screen (it's like an after-thought
now). The initial screen could be general info or good practice advice, and
more detail available when scrolled. Like a reminded to backup DOS and be
sure to have a bootable DOS floppy at the start of the Linux install so that
if there is a problem when setting up dual-booting, for example, they will
have access to their DOS even with a damaged MBR, for instance, and thus to
help documents on the Linux CD. Don't advise people, and even if they
created the problem they will associate the bad feeling with you because you
didn't warn them. State specifically that with a bootable floppy they could
use DOS to look at the HTML Linux documents for on-the-spot self-rescue and
assistance. I haven't been reading newbie that long, but how to remove LILO
or restore a DOS MBR comes up over and over again. Another help example:
when choosing user names there are option buttons; the help indicates the
name for the abbreviations, I think, but no explaination of what these
options might mean to you or why you would want to choose or not choose
these.
Going further with this idea, there could be a trouble button for more
information dealing with problems one might encounter, and possible
corrections or ways to bypass the step until later.
Using Install>Upgrade should actually be useful to reinstall only one
thing (to bypass install steps not needed), for example, reinstall X windows
if it should become damaged instead of this kind of upgrade reinstall
hanging as it does. New people such as myself don't know enough to fix
things and reinstalling is the lesser of the evils since there is nothing
much to lose. Redoing one piece is better than having to redo everything.
I suggest more manuals and How-To pages in HTML and made accessible (to
DOS) on the Mandrake-Linux CDROM so people learn more before they begin and
can try to solve their install problems themselves. This was perhaps my main
reason for buying Mandrake [I read the HTML documents on the free Mandrake
disc included with Maximum Linux magazine]. Also, some people will be doing
installations in the middle of the night when they wouldn't have phone
support, etc. available, and that even if they made the error that screwed
things up ....
-Gary Prichard-
