[aklug] Re: Basic Linux information

On Wed, 2009-09-16 at 22:31 -0800, Arthur Corliss wrote:
> On Wed, 16 Sep 2009, 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.
> >
> > Is it really that frikkin hard to make sure those work? By making
> > those few apps work from the gate constitute doing everything for the
> > new user? Gimme a break.
>
> Yes and no. In theory it's all doable as long as you're not concerned with
> some of the software/codec redistribution licensing restrictions, and you
> don't care about poorly supported hardware, like certain frame buffers and
> audio components.

No, I don't care, neither will a new user, until he understands what
that means in the FOSS world view. How many of us already have made the
decision to go ahead and use those codecs or software, I know I have.

> But even then, that's not my objection. My objection is based on one simple
> question: what does that accomplish?

It accomplishes not having to help the new user get these things working
before they can start using it on a daily basis. It's 2009 and the cli
is not what people expect from a computer. The Internet is what people
want computers for, the apps listed above make sure that this content
works out of the box.

> It gains you (possibly only
> temporarily) a new user who's going to expect things to just work. A user
> whose going to wonder why "app a" which wasn't on your list doesn't also
> work, or why he can't run the latest version of iTunes with the iPhone 400GG
> that comes out tomorrow.

It will gain you a user that once they understand what they can do, will
not want to go back. Now they want to explore because they are free to
do so. Now were are beginning to sow a user and reap a hacker.

> If you had to make it that easy to get that user on board, do you honestly
> expect them to make the leap to contributing to Linux?

Make it that easy? By just making sure some basic functionality is
there at install? All we are doing is making sure that video's play,
MP3's play, video content on the web can be viewed.

> The irony is that we will all likely see exactly what you want, but not as a
> distro, as a pre-installed copy on a netbook or Internet tablet. And it
> makes sense there because those consumers will hopefully understand they're
> getting an appliance, not a general purpose computing device.
>
> > Jon - List master of the day! -
>
> :-) Correction: Jon - List instigator of the day! -

Here! Here! I accept sir, I just want to than...I believe that Beyonce
is better...damn Kayne.

> --Arthur Corliss
> Live Free or Die
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Received on Wed Sep 16 23:20:14 2009