Fedora usability : a new project?

[Rahul]

Rick Stuart wrote:
> I welcome this idea!  I have asked many folks about what they like and 
> dis like about Linux and I only get prejudiced statements.  If you sit 
> someone ( a familiar and comfortable user of Windows) in front of your 
> pride and joy 64-bit Fedora Core 5 install and invite them to try it 
> out, they will fail to see any value.  If you help them find their way 
> to stuff, they will certainly hit a brick wall that you have to fix by 
> opening a terminal window, and then it's all over.
> 
> Here are a couple of suggestions:
> 
> Provide an option to configure users with sufficient privileges so that 
> they can enter their OWN password for administrative access instead of 
> ROOT's.  ( /usr/bin/system-config-* linked to "consolehelper" )  For a 
> good model, check out UBUNTU......sorry about your toes.  Something like 
> /etc/consolehelpers a-la /etc/sudoers.


That isnt really a good model.

https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-extras-list/2006-July/msg00814.html

> 
> I really like YUM, but I REALLY think that it sucks to explain it to 
> users who are new to Linux.

Why? It has a consistent command line interface and it is no worse than 
any other command tool that I know of.

http://fedora.redhat.com/docs/yum/


   Package manager is nice, but then there is
> that pesky root password requirement....."So, I'll just log in as root 
> so I don't have to type that password!"  It is miserably slow.    Does 
> it even connect to YUM? 

Yes, It uses yum.


  I am not seeing all the available packages I
> can see with 'yum list available'.  If that's not the right tool, then 
> why is it on the menu under 'Add/Remove software'?  Don't make me say 
> the U-word.

Click the big "List" button.

> 
> Give me better Themes choices.  That is a big deal...and...UBUNTU is not 
> any better....

We have about a dozen in core and many more in extras. I think thats 
plenty of choice apart from the easily installable themes from 
art.gnome.org and kde-look.org


> 
> FIX GNOME's SCREENLOCK!!!!  I want the slideshow to be configurable like 
> KDE's....It USED to be!

It never was. Xscreensavers was that way but it isnt in core anymore. 
There is a upstream discussion on adding this feature to the new GNOME 
screensaver program.


> 
> Make wireless drop dead obvious.  I hate to say it, but Windows has that 
> down.  MOST real users are going to be on laptops and Fedora is NOT 
> ready for them.

Use Network Manager. It is not enabled by default yet till we get a few 
features fixed.

https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-devel-list/2006-August/msg00081.html


> 
> That's all I can think of right now.  I have poured on the gasoline and 
> I am waiting for the match...hurry, the gasoline is giving me a rash.  
> Oh, wait!!  One more....give up on the default mail-tool being 
> evolution.  Thunderbird!

Wont work. We need well integrated calendering functionality, Exchange 
interoperability etc and ThunderBird extensions are not very mature yet.

Rahul