I whole heartedly agree with you Paul. You expressed it much better than I
did. I am willing to put in the time to learn but have the concern that
many will not - again leaving me with a marginal or orphan OS for which
drivers no longer exist and hardware incompatibilities abound (as happened
to me with OS/2). I think everyone expects to have to learn new things when
using a new OS, it is the need to learn programming syntax just to be able
to configure it that is daunting.
But I will master that too. I have been using computers since the Apple II
days, have used numerous OS's from DOS, Win 3.1 (same thing), OS/2 in
several versions, W95/98 and NT as well as having played with some simple
programming. However my programming experience is rudimentary and that has
been a stumbling block for me with Linux - though one I will overcome in
time.
In an ideal world there would be a simpler configuration interface for those
who wish it while leaving the code visible and _available_ (without taking
anything away from) those who would prefer the command line and UNIX syntax.
One does not obviate the other. It is my understanding that Linux is moving
in that direction anyway, which is logical, and Mandrake is a definite step
in that direction especially as to installation.
Jeff Malka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Registered Linux user 183185
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Rodríguez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 2:45 PM
Subject: RE: [newbie] AGH!! Linux not ready for prime time (OS/2 user)
> I too am a newbie without any Linux programming knowledge whatsoever. And
> I'm very excited to begin many years of learning, code, functionality, and
> trulty appreciate the merits of going from one level of Linux
understanding
> to another. However, I don't think we can overlook some of Linux's
> limitations and difficulties in the eyes of the newcomer. I think this is
> particularly true when it comes to configuration troubles. It is the
often
> extreme difficulty that Linux poses to configure (not necessarily the
> install itself, but getting the hardware to work) that presents the
greatest
> barrier to gaining Linux converts, people who once they have a machine
> running, are willing to spend hours to understand how it works.
>
>
> When I first tried to learn ( or begin learning) Linux 6 months ago, I
> completely shelved it in frustration, because the hardware configuration
was
> so exceedingly difficult for me. It took me six months to muster the
> courage to try again with a new system. ANd now that I've had a much
easier
> time getting it up and runnning, my excitement and curiosity is multiplied
> exponentially. It's easy to feel that there's no use learning a system
that
> you can't even start up. This is the major obstacle for new users, as
> educational as it may be, it's hard to keep new users with the initial
curve
> of setting up.
>
> Once one gets past that, there's a whole new environment to start learing
> and keeping new users.
>
> Just my humble opinion.
>
> -Paul
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Andrew Scotchmer
> Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 7:22 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: [newbie] AGH!! Linux not ready for prime time (OS/2 user)
>
>
> On Tue, 29 Aug 2000, you wrote:
> > I like Linux as it is. I don't give a shit about prime
> > time. Linux is a learning experience, more like PBS. If it
> > turns into Saturday morning cartoons, I'll go with something
> > else. Call me a snob I don't care.
> >
> > BTW I am not a programmer.
> >
> > Phil
> >
> Thats exactly my thoughts Phil.
>
> If Linux became 'Prime-time' and everything was made to run perfectly
first
> time round then where would the learning experience be. This is one of
the
> major paradoxes that the Linux distributors, promoters and programmers
must
> face.
>
> For me Linux has recaptured the days of my youth when, with my ZX81 and
> later
> Spectrum, I would hide away for hours whilst typing in pages and pages of
> program from a games magazine or trying to teach myself basic. Then came
> Windows and I became a virtual zombie.
>
> Now thanks to Linux, whilst others down tthe local pub are discussing the
> finer arts of word processing and how to change their Windows 9x desktop
> colours, I'm wrangling with the complexeties of LiLo configuration, shell
> scripting and trying to teach myself C programing. I'm once again
reliving
> those distant and hazy days of youth when my world revolved around a
spongey
> rubber keypad and a 16k RAM pack precariously balanced against a school
> textbook.
>
> Linux has provided me with the answer of what can be done on those long
cold
> wintery nights when all thats keeping me going is a full perculator of
> coffee
> and a sheer willfull desire to have this machine finally configured to my
> liking. So what if I'm red eyed and blurry the next day at work at least
I
> can
> say that I know more about my system and computers in general than just
> knowing
> how to point at something and click.
>
> Andrew
>
>
>
>
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