On 06/21/2011 12:36 AM, Charlie Kravetz wrote: > On Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:51:01 +0300 > Pasi Lallinaho <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On 06/20/2011 11:06 PM, Bruno Benitez wrote: >>> Hello to all, hope you are having a very nice day. >>> >>> First of all thanks to all the people who makes xubuntu, I always >>> find this to be one of the greatest linux distros I've tried. So >>> Thank You All. >>> >>> >>> Now to business, as I've proposed on the #xubuntu-devel channel I >>> would like if Xubuntu had a "Top 10 FAQ", Why? because I feel that if >>> a new user comes to an absolute new OS and finds out he can't listen >>> his music he might go and say, "What?!" and then leave, but if he >>> would come and see that what he has just installed says to them "Here, >>> check this top 10 questions to get you started", then he would feel >>> welcome and will most probably stay. >> I actually wrote a similar list for 9.04, but main emphasis on >> problems/bugs rather than actions. You can read that on my blog [1]. >> >> I also wrote an article about getting support [2], which I think could >> be used as a base for something similar to use alongside the "Top 10 FAQ". >>> So I'm proposing this possible, not demandatory, and not even 10, >>> questions, in no particular order either: >>> >>> /How to listen music and play video? >>> / >> We are soon going to have an interactive tutorial on the default music >> player, gmusicbrowser, on the Shimmer Project site [3]. This >> documentation will be posted to Planet Ubuntu, and is definitely free to >> use. >> >> Video playing should be pretty straightforward, but maybe we could point >> the users to the applications. One thing that is problematic here is the >> codecs. Telling users to install xubuntu-restricted-extras fixes this, >> but somehow I can't make it sound good in my head to tell this in a "how >> to get started" -style FAQ. > To be honest, I don' t think we are going to send users all over the > web to find out how to work applications. We do not do that now, > instead we spend time explaining how to do it. > > As to codecs, what is the difference between telling a use in #xubuntu > "install xubuntu-retricted-extras by opening a terminal and typing > 'sudo apt-get install xubuntu-restricted-extras' vs writing it down for > them to read? Sorry, with "point the users to the applications" I meant telling users which applications are designed for eg. video watching. We could have a short list of all the (important) default applications.
The difference is that you typoed the command the first time ;) No seriously, there is no difference, but I would't like to tell a newbie as the first thing to open a terminal. That scares people away. Is the package in Software Center? Is there any other way to install it? >>> /How to install video drivers? >>> / >> Aren't these supposed to be installed automatically? > This depends on the video card. I often have advised new users to go to > System -> Additional Drivers and install what is there. > Right. Can't hurt... But obviously, we should tell the users they usually do not need any drivers or if they do, they should be normally installed automatically. >>> /How to turn sound? >>> / >> Sound on, or change the volume? > Remains to be seen if Oneiric will start muted. I see many users asking > why the sound is muted, and having to explain "install pavucontrol" is > a very easy answer in a FAQ. > Yeah. >>> /How to play DVD's? >>> / >> Again, the codec issue. Other than that, it's pretty much the same as >> playing videos. > I, for one, do not find this the same. To the best of my memory, you > don' t even use the same application. > I play all of my DVD's and videos with VLC, so I don't know. Looks like Parole can play DVD's as well, so it is really a matter of teaching one app. Isn't there even a possibility for DVD autostart? >>> /How to enable Compiz? (/this is a really usual question on #xubuntu/) >>> / >> This is a common question, but AFAIK we don't really support Xfce and >> Compiz, so it sounds awkward to list this on the FAQ. Posting blog >> entries about this in personal blogs and then pointing to them might be >> a good way. There even is some articles about this already, I think. > I think telling users "yes, you can install compiz and ccsm to Xubuntu" > is a great idea. > As long as we tell them we are not supporting it (as in saying we'll fix it if it breaks). Or are we? >>> /How does one move panels? (/this might sound silly, but many people >>> have asked this at least once, me included/) >>> / >> I think this should belong in a Xfce tutorial, which the Xubuntu >> community could also write, and which could be linked to from the FAQ > Again, I do not want to send users all over to get help, when it is so > simple for us to tell them directly. Why should a one or two line > answer have to be replaced with a one or two line reference to another > website? > There shouldn't be only this one issue in the Xfce tutorial. It could cover more than what we can fit into our small FAQ, and a link to it could be FAQ number X. >>> /How to add new themes? >>> / >> Adding new themes is easy, but many times users want to install a Gnome >> theme (metacity window borders). We might not want to tell a user that >> he can't do something in our "Top 10 FAQ" > And where do you learn how to add any theme? What tells the user to > create ~/.themes or add to /usr/share/themes ? > Again, bad choice of words. I meant that it's easy to tell people how to install themes, but when they try to install a metacity theme, it all goes really hard, since there really isn't such thing as metacity themes in Xubuntu. >>> /Why don't wallpapers stay listed on the xfdesktop-settings? >>> / >> 2 comments up; Xfce tutorial. > Again, do not send Xubuntu users away. > >>> >>> I am also proposing this to be 10 FAQ because that would make them >>> easy to mantain, and easy to translate to many languages by those >>> people interested on to it, like me. >> In order for it to be easily maintainable in terms of translations not >> getting too old, the FAQ items should probably be as short as possible, >> without sacrificing clarity. > A very good point. And if these simple items will help Xubuntu build > and maintain its user base, that would be fantastic. >>> Well thats all i guess, have a good day. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Bruno.- >>> >> [1] >> http://open.knome.fi/2009/07/05/panels-disappearing-and-other-frequently-asked-questions/ >> [2] http://open.knome.fi/2009/05/28/getting-support/ >> [3] http://shimmerproject.org/ >> > Perhaps these can be used as a starting point. But let's get a few more > people involved. > -- Pasi Lallinaho » http://open.knome.fi/ Leader of the Shimmer Project » http://shimmerproject.org/ Graphic artist, webdesigner, Ubuntu member » IRC: knome @ freenode -- xubuntu-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-devel
