I did it!

[Sam Folk-Williams]

> 
> 
> I must respectfully disagree here.  What is best for Fedora depends on
> the user.  Certainly, an experienced user should be using the newest
> release unless they are trying to do something critical and do not feel
> they can afford to be patient while potential bugs were addressed.  On
> the other hand, someone who is very new to Linux is not going to be very
> skilled at troubleshooting or even describing Linux problems.  So, the
> value of the feedback that such a person can offer to the project will
> generally be less than normal.  Maybe even more important, a novice
> Linux user may be frightened away if he runs into too many bumps in the
> road.  In the long term, the project may be best served if we have more
> people using the "old" release as their first release.  Then, with that
> experience under their belts, they can join the mainstream when the next
> new release comes out.  Bottom line is we would probably have more
> people testing the *next* new release.
> 

I actually don't think there is much to be gained by new users using old
versions. The improvements and added features are so dramatic between versions,
and the entire support community quickly migrates, making it unlikely that
users would benefit or have any easier time of it by using an old release.

That said, I see Debbie's point and a "which version to install first?" might
be a good section for the planning guide.


> > 
> >> - what configurations are the easiest for a beginner.  We all would like
> >> to say that FC is easy to install right out of the box.  It certainly is
> >> for some configurations.  However some features and drivers are more or
> >> less baked than others.  For a novice I would recommend no RAID, 32-bit,
> >> no nVidia drivers.  There's probably a lot more that can be said on this
> >> subject.
> > 
> > As a side note, we wouldn't include anything about nVidia or ATI
> > closed-source 3D drivers anyway.
> 
> We might mention that some vendors have not yet joined the open source
> movement and their drivers are not included with FC because they are
> proprietary.  People should know what to expect.  It may even help them
> choose their hardware accordingly. :-)
> 
> > 
> >> - troubleshooting basics.  How to get into linux rescue mode using your
> >> boot disk, and what you can do there.  Some more common problems, their
> >> symptoms, and how to confirm if that's what has happened to you.  Where
> >> to look for more help if you need it.
> > 
> > I would say this is better kept in either the Installation Guide or
> > elsewhere.  Keeping a tight focus for a doc like this is vital; the
> > organizing principle of the System Planning Guide is not as a procedural
> > for installations (that's what the Installation Guide does), but rather
> > a concepts primer for newcomers.  It introduces terms and gets people
> > thinking about what their requirements are for their Fedora system.  The
> > minute they lay hands on the keyboard/mouse, that's where the
> > Installation Guide and other materials step in.
> 
> I see your point!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Debbie
> 
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-- 
➧ Sam Folk-Williams, RHCE 	➧ Red Hat Global Support Services	
➧ Phone: 919/754-4558		➧ GPG ID: 1B0D46BA