[K12OSN] OT: Towards Linux Desktop Comfort

[Daniel Hedblom]

I can nothing but agree that it should be simple to kill processes and installing software. But i do disagree that installing software in Linux is hard. Its different but in a good way. With eg. synaptic you have the whole debian repository at hand and its much easier to find an application in synaptic than to scavenge the net and download and install and getting it to work on Windows. Updates on linux really shines here, update every possible application with a simple keystroke instead of running around the net, testing patches and installing them manually. The only thing really needed is a big sign on the desktop saying KLICK HERE TO INSTALL SOFTWARE!!111. 

As for third party applications there are very easy ways of installing their software IF they want it to be easy. Its entirely possible to use for example the loki installer, autopackage or just make debs and rpms wich covers 90% of all the dists. The problem mostly lies in the installers proprietary vendors use (or dont use, tgz packages is not mandated in linux anymore), not linux in itself. That and that they dont really bother testing their apps regularly with new linux dists. Often its just a matter of recompiling once for every new major release. If Nvidia can why cant the others? A new shiny interface for installing apps wont help a bit here.

Its true that some pieces needs polishing but thats a whole different thing than to make them Windows-like. And while we are at that, have you ever thought about how different XP is from 98? If the users managed that they will manage a move to linux as well. The real reason to move to Linux should not be to get a free Windows clone, it should be that linux is much better. Mimic something mediocre wont ever get it better.



-----Original Message-----
From: "Ramon" <ramonklown at pop.com.br>
To: "Support list for opensource software in schools." <k12osn at redhat.com>
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:19:34 -0300 (EST)
Subject: Re: [K12OSN] OT: Towards Linux Desktop Comfort

The biggest problem I see in the linux community is with users coming from windows
with no knowledge on how a OS works.

They have a good point, they are users they don't need to know how to deal with
some issues. Like installing software shouldn't be hard, and many don't know that
there's  a solution to this.
And to kill process there are a couple of solutions to user interface to this also.
I think there should be a distro even more focused on the user, ubuntu is almost
getting there, and mandriva also.


> On 10/30/05, Daniel Hedblom <daniel at solle.se> wrote:
>>>    http://kegel.com/linux/comfort/
>> I think you make the same assumption many other do about Linux.
>>That its supposed to be a drop in replacement of Windows.  ...
>
> Interesting fact: one of the major goals of
> Open Office 2.0 was to be more of a drop-in replacement
> for Microsoft Office.  They had tried being different for
> years, and discovered that users simply didn't care to
> spend the time to learn a different interface; they wanted
> their old familiar one.
> Does that mean Linux has to be just like Windows?
> No.  But it does mean that if you want people to use
> you, you have to make the learning curve really, really easy
> for users who are switching.
>
>>Microsoft is yesterdays news, we can stand here and wait or go ahead and make
>>something better than they do. If we just mimic them all we ever will
> accomplish is
>>second hand stuff. Why follow when you can lead?
>
> I'm totally with you, but if we want to switch over millions of
> people per year, we have to make sure they're comfortable
> with the idea.  Don't you agree?
>
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