Re: [Trisquel-users] How many people are working on Trisquel? Which libre Linux distro has the most developers?

[nux]

One problem that most distros saddle their users with is not being very  
helpful with hardware. The big source distros, for want of a better phrase,  
should know, from user generated feedback, which hardware will work 'out of  
the box', which needs non-free extras and which isn't going to work at all.
Thus, when a new user is installing a distro, a message should up along the  
lines of "congratulations, all your hardware will work without non-free  
software, this is something to be pleased about" with a file on the desktop  
on first boot explaining more, or "not all your hardware will work on first  
boot, you'll need to either enable the following source for drivers or read  
the text file on the desktop which will contain further instructions", or  
best of all "the following hardware will not work on first boot, if you are  
relying on this hardware for connectivity or on being able to see the  
desktop, then you need to do the following...". (There's nothing more  
frustrating than being able to see the screen whilst the installer is  
running, only to be presented with a black screen on first boot).
As it stands now, hordes of new users clog forums with the same questions "my  
mate told me this Linux thing was awesome but I have no sound/wireless/a  
black screen on every boot, how come?" Easily avoidable and avoidable in a  
way that would drive home the message far more effectively than leaving  
people to either find out for themselves or to run the risk of a verbal  
mauling at the hands of a free software zealot. (We all know the type -  
politically perfect but socially abrasive, they do no one's movement any  
favours).

Having spent the last couple or three weeks exploring the various FSF  
recommended distros, and with 11 years use of Gnu/Linux under my belt, I can  
say with some certainty that Trisquel is a mighty fine piece of work. Whether  
it be the work of 1 man, 100 men or 100,000.