[aklug] Re: Basic Linux information

Social diatribes aside, I think we, aklug, would do a great service by
choosing a base distro that's out there already and adding to that all
the parts, like flash, that get left out due to political positions
(it's not open source!). So any one can take a disk put it in their
machine, and boot to a desktop quickly, that just works for all the
most common things people do with a home system.

I've used linux for over 10 years and still don't have the above. It's
beyond my available time to do it alone but would love to help.

And it's a PITA, when I need a system up fast to go figure out why my
main system isn 't working but then spend 3 hours figuring out why
Debian won't let me do something fundamental like mount a flash drive.

Most of us don't live on top of step pyramids with obsidian knives --
and don't want to. Elitist RTFM does no one any good.

Larry

Marc Grober wrote:
> No! Those unwilling to lift a finger to help themselves will not be
> benefitted by having someone act for them. Those who are willing to
> help themselves deserve support and encouragement.
>
> You demonstrate the viability of your position via performance not
> promotion. Proselytizing just produces different flavored
> fundamentalists, and in my book one evangelist is as bad as another.
>
> Open software is in a limited sense socialism at work and it's
> multinational.... That's enough right there to keep most of Alaska
> from Linux, lol..
>
> What has turned off people to Linux is that it is not marketed like
> windows, though windows is often much more difficult to configure than
> Linux and apps are inconveniently installed. And for unix folks who
> remember, the desire to have a single desktop is a hill too far.
>
> Humans are rarely rational, less so mobbed up. Any seachange will come
> as a result of major school districts putting Linux in student
> hands.... At ASD that has been an uphill climb until the arrival of
> the netbooks. Unfortunaly I have to suggest that ASD learned nothing
> institutionally from highland tech's efforts but one takes what one is
> dealt. You want to support Linux support the netbook users at ASD.
>
> On Sep 16, 2009, at 1:36 PM, jonr@destar.net wrote:
>
>
>> Ahh, yes, let us be elitist in the users we choose to help. The poor
>> unwashed masses must move on. That is exactly the attitude that has
>> turned off people to Linux for years now.
>>
>> What is our goal?
>>
>> Jon
>>
>> Quoting Marc Grober <marc@interak.com>:
>>
>>
>>> Ahhhhh...... Whether zen master or rabbi is responding, they will
>>> both advise that the wisdom of many ages and cultures suggests that
>>> information obtained without personal investment is worthless.
>>>
>>> To bring that up to date, people looking for simple answers should be
>>> sent on their way; there areno simple answers, only simple people. I
>>> am always happy to lend a hand to help someone but nit to do their
>>> work for them.
>>>
>>> You want a well supported easy to use desktop *nix OS, the answer is
>>> OS X, and if you want a support contract there are lots of companies
>>> that offer branded Linux. You want to explore an open OS, take a deep
>>> breath.....
>>>
>>> Don't Balkanize the net..... Part of the open software experience is
>>> learning from an international community... It can be frustrating,
>>> but soft soaping converts is not the way.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sep 16, 2009, at 12:29 PM, jonr@destar.net wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Email
>>>> Flash
>>>> PDF Viewer
>>>> Java
>>>> Shockwave
>>>> DVD and Movie player (MPlayer, Xine, Totem)
>>>> MP3 player and on RH systems how to get mp3's to work.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Installation will be different for each flavor of Linux so I don't
>>>> see
>>>> how that will work, unless you do it for all and then keep them up
>>>> to
>>>> date.
>>>>
>>>> These should all work out of the box, it is what they will expect
>>>> coming from a Windows environment. Any thing less and we will lose
>>>> them back to the dark side.
>>>>
>>>> Why use Linux and not Windows or Mac?
>>>>
>>>> Because it's free? Who cares when it is so complicated that a new
>>>> user
>>>> would gladly pay for something that just works.
>>>>
>>>> We would need to decide on one distro and that be the one that all
>>>> of
>>>> AKLUG recommends for any new user. When a new user asks "Which
>>>> distro
>>>> should I use?" and then gets 4 different answers with varying
>>>> reasons,
>>>> that doesn't answer the question. All of the above apps need to be
>>>> in
>>>> a base install of whatever distro is decided upon.
>>>>
>>>> Any thing less and it will fail.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Jon
>>>>
>>>> Quoting Damien Hull <damien@linuxninjas.tv>:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> This goes along with documentation but I thought I would start a
>>>>> fresh thread.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think we should have some basic Linux information we can offer
>>>>> people.
>>>>>
>>>>> 1. installation instructions
>>>>> 2. How to backup data
>>>>> 3. How to keep data safe (encryption)
>>>>> 4. OpenOffice info
>>>>> 5. Photo editing info
>>>>>
>>>>> Stuff people can use... Just a thought
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Ubuntu User
>>>>> Open Source Evangelist
>>>>> CERTIFICATIONS
>>>>> linux professional institute level 1, CCENT
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
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Received on Wed Sep 16 14:31:08 2009