Hi all
My LUG LiLiT was yesterday in Awans (Liege suburbs) for an Install Party
opening the local "Fête de l'Internet". So there are now a few more
human beings running Ubuntu (or Mandriva 2007 ;-). Speaking with
"not-so-computer-literate-people", it really appears that "zero effort"
is a key to success for these people to migrate to GNU/Linux.
Of course, "Ubuntu is great" ((TM) ploum) for this purpose, especially
with the new live+install desktop CD; we tell them to come to Install
Parties, and to come again if they have a problem. But it is not
enough, especially if we want these people to spread the word (and the
CD) to their friends.
Some thoughts :
* we cannot be sure they can get internet access when using or install
the CD. Sometimes they just don't have internet at all (too expensive,
already available at work, etc.), or it is "reserved" to their main
computer (running Windows), or they have some "problematic" usb modem.
* many people (especially Walloons, as you know ;-) cannot deal with a
language other than their mother tongue. The fact that Ubuntu can be
installed in dozens of different languages with the same CD is useless
for them. We even got a complaint from someone who got the ubuntu CD
and then was told that french packages were not included.
* perception of what is a problem is very subjective. For example, I am
very concerned that people could mess up their Windows with an install
CD. But so far, we never get such complaints. The usual complaint is
"it doesn't work" or "Explanations given on the internet are too
complicated or did not work for me". My present feeling is : people
admit computer problems when they have been warmed, but if they get
lost without understandable reason, they will give up and go back to
Windows. So opening a dialog box with a clear explanation could be more
useful than giving (or, at least, only giving) a link to an howto page
that 90% of these people won't use anyway..
* when opened under Windows, the desktop CD offers to install some free
softwares for Windows. Great... but in English :-(
So you guess it, this leads me to ask for customized CDs again. Maybe I
am wrong and probably I/we can make bad choices, so :
* I tried to find a way for a stupid newbie like me to make custom CDs.
On https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization/6.06
I found a comment about UCK :
http://uck.sourceforge.net/
https://launchpad.net/uck/
who looks dead simple according to :
http://uck.sourceforge.net/screenshots
There was an article laudating Ubuntu in February issue of Linux
magazine US, where they mention Reconstructor :
http://reconstructor.aperantis.com/
What do you think of these solutions ?
* if ubuntu-be goes this way, I think custom CDs should be *tested* on
computer-illiterate people because burning or pressing them in great
quantities : what they don't understand, what they don't find, what is
missing, etc. I think it is far more important than having the CD
available for some deadline.
Testing should include installing on Windows and empty computers as
well.
Question : is such testing already made for the standard ubuntu CDs ?
* people should be welcomed and informed in their language. Even if they
are not connected, they should find information about ubuntu-be, LUGs,
and even friendly computer stores or cyberspaces.
That was my Sunday 0.02 EUR
Have a nice day in Kortrijk :-)
--
Snulkid
-
Liégeois, ne laissez pas défigurer votre centre-ville!!
http://www.liege21e.levillage.org/
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