Ramon Casha wrote:
When comparing Linux to Windows you have to take into consideration what kind
of user is involved. Many "home users" use their computers for Office
applications (word processor, spreadsheet, presentation), internet (web
browsing, email, IM) and games - and nothing else. Most of these users don't
even so much as change their date/time localisation settings from the control
panel.
In this regard, a standard installation of (say) Mandrake provides all the
software necessary. No command lines, no compilations, nothing. All the
software comes ready on the CDs. The installation, using Mandrake's control
centre, is even easier than Windows - there is a single user interface for
all products and this requires nothing beyond merely choosing which
applications to install and pressing Ok. You don't have to choose which
"optional features" to include, which directory to install in etc. Since
almost all this software is GPL'd, you don't even have a license to accept
(since you'd have accepted the GPL at installation time). At most the
installer informs you that this application will also install 'x' other
packages, you click Ok and they're installed too.
The only time you'd need to compile anything is if you either want the very
latest, bleeding-edge version of a product from CVS (and if you do you're
probably already an incurable geek), or else you want a product that isn't
included as standard with the distribution - and Mandrake does a pretty good
job of including most products you could ever concievably need.
For business desktop users, chances are that the company will have already
decided on a standard corporate configuration, which includes office
applications, desktop environment and other packages to be used in-house.
In all my years of using Linux I have never once compiled the kernel. So far
I've simply never needed to. The only reason I compile applications is
because whenever OpenOffice or some other group annouce a new version I can't
wait for the RPMs to come out - I want it by yesterday. In short, I can
compile stuff because I'm a geek... but at the same time the only reason I'd
want to compile anything is also because I'm a geek.
Regarding the installation of the OS itself, I really don't think that the
Mandrake installer is more difficult than the Windows installers. Pop in the
CD, boot off it and, a few prompts later, you're running. The only time you
reboot is at the very end, and then it's well and truly installed. Hardware
is automatically detected, the disk is automatically partitioned and so on.
If you choose "expert mode" you get lots more options, but then "expert" is
another word for geek.
I'm not saying that Linux is perfect - far from it. However it is comparable
to Windows in ease of use. While a user who's accustomed to Windows will find
Linux difficult at first, the same can be said of a Mac user who tries
Windows, etc. That's not so much a matter of ease of use - any change
requires adaptation. I remember when Windows95 was first introduced there
were a lot of complaints from people about how they couldn't find anything.
If I were to make a list of things that I would do to make Linux more
user-friendly, this would be it:
1. Limit the choice of applications to install, at least in "newbie mode".
There should be only one text editor, one word processor, one browser, one
email program etc. The other applications can be made available in "expert
mode" if necessary. A newbie doesn't know how to choose between Mozilla,
Galeon, Konqueror, Netscape and Opera, so they shouldn't be expected to.
2. Standardise RPMs in such a way that RPMs can work on all distributions. All
distros should start with RPM and URPMI and move on from there to create a
system where a developer can create one RPM per processor family (x86) and
place it on a website ready for any user to install, whether they're using
Mandrake, RedHat, SuSE or anything else.
The problem as I see it with the standardization of RPMs is that
different distros have different dependencies for the same rpm. So its
not that easy to just pick an RPM off the shelve of a website and
install it as an addon to urpmi. Urpmi was a welcome breath of fresh
air, finally giving the benefits that debian had for ages. The one thing
that debian has is that all .deb fit into one another because all debian
based distros (and there are a lot) use the same standards. If you
really want an RPM which doesn't exist from off the shelve, it would be
ideal if you post a request (read bugzilla with very nice eye candy) to
the distros packaging team. He would then receive the package in the
mail and they slowly expand their supported package base with the help
of the community.
Ultimately its all up to creating a program manager ala "Add/Remove
Software" that interfaces with urpmi/portage/apt-get
BTW.... the added traffic on this mailing list is a welcome change.
Count me in for the outing especially if it includes beer.
Ramon Casha
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