Too many dependencies? was: Is Linux always so frustating?

[Jay Daniels]

On Thu, Apr 08, 2004 at 05:45:16PM +0300, Dov Zamir wrote:
> > 
> > If I am setting up a workstation for a secretary and I don't want to 
> > allow Internet browsing, why should I install Mozilla.  If the address 
> > book code is required for OOo, then put the code in a separate 
> > package.  I can understand the dependencies for libs but not for 
> > applications.  How is the OOo download from OpenOffice.org handle this?
> 
> Actually, a web browser isn't about Internet anymore. A lot of coporate
> aplications have a web interface, allowing any client with a browser to
> use them, regardless of the client platform. That's one of the features
> allowing Linux workstations into the workspace.
> 
> At my office, the secretaries get all the cool stuff!
> 
> Dov Zamir
> 
> 
> > -- 
> > Robin Laing
> > 

Ditto, just because the secretary is not connected to the internet
doesn't mean she can't use a web browser to view documentation that is
in html format on disk and on cdrom, etc...

Also, by not installing a web browser, it does not prevent her from using
the internet anyway.  Heck, no network connection and no modem doesn't
prevent someone from browsing the internet either - they could install
their own modem or perhaps even find a local wireless connection.

If you really do not want her browsing the internet, why don't you
just tell her or him?  If you can't trust your employees, what good
are they.

This isn't highschool so why would any business prevent their
employees from using the internet anyway?  I understand that you may
want to restrict certain sites and content, but to totally prevent office
employees from using the internet, doesn't make any sense.

In fact, you could use a web browser and a web server such as apache
then setup the web browser to start in kiosk mode to actually control
what the secretary can or cannot run!  You could run an intranet and
some very nice web based applications for in-office use like a company
address book or calendar.  You could even keep track of projects,
clients, product info, and have your employees sign in to a virtual
time clock all web based which require a web browser but no internet
connection.  Why not use all these free opensource tools?

The web browser is way beyond just browsing the web!  It's an
application interface in itself, a file browser - even Nautilus the
Linux file manager/browser in Gnome is actually a web browser!  Some
applets you view help files with inside office applications are just
that, a web browser.

Except for oowriter, I don't use any of the Open Office stuff.  You
could use a different word processor if you really want to avoid any
mozilla libs but I don't see why...

Think of the internet as vast free means of communication and a very
large library.  You don't want to prevent a "secretary" from using
this library of information do you?


jay