CentOS for newbie's desktop? [Was: Re: Fedora Core ... problem]

[Styma, Robert E (Robert)]

> Is it good idea? Does anybody have any experience with using 
> CentOS on desktop, which is primarily used to do something else 
> than developing Linux? Any other ideas?
> 
I converted several non-technical users from Windows to 
Red Hat based Linux.  My skating coach currently runs
FC6 (upgraded from FC2 and FC4).  I put CentOS on my
wife's desktop.  In both cases they like the fact that
it does not crash and also the increased resistance to
virus attacks and adware.

I wrote up the experience with the coach and posted
it at http://www.styma.org/LinuxForTheMasses.shtml

In synopsis, you will probably end up being sysadmin
for them.  In my case, only I know the root password.
I set up /etc/hosts.allow and port forwarding on the
DSL router so that I can ssh in from either my box
at work or my box at home.  Nothing else gets a login
prompt.  I also set up the VNC module so that when they
call for help, I can bring up their screen.  This works
less well under FC6 than FC4 (munges up the desktop
as you go along).

The biggest drawback is multimedia.  People mail
wmv files and mp3's and other stuff to each other.
It takes a bit of effort to get this working under
Linux.  There are still a lot of sites which do not
work correctly under Linux that I have not found
a way to access.  This probably bothers me more than
the user as I do not like Windows to work better
than Linux in any way.

Hope this helps.

Bob S.
Phoenix AZ.