Re: [tlug] newbie notebook question

[Scott Robbins <scottro@example.com>]

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On Tue, Dec 28, 2004 at 02:28:57PM +0900, Wayne wrote:
> On Tue, 2004-12-28 at 00:21 -0500, Scott Robbins wrote:
> > Lately I've been recommending Mepis to folks who want a JustWorks(TM)
> > distribution.  (I also recommended Ubuntu to a friend without trying
> > it--he's a guru but wanted a JustWorks--I don't mind bloat if it Just
> > Works(TM), he wrote--distro).  
> 
> > Having now tried it, I felt Mepis required a little less research to
> > get
> > everything working.  
> 
> I've seen a few people suggesting Mepis recently too. AFAIR that's
> a KDE based distro, right? When I first started using Mandrake,
> about 9 or so, I used KDE but recently switched to Gnome and I
> really like Gnome 2.8.x The later KDE versions have some features
> that I find annoying!

Between the two, I prefer KDE, but even when I put on a Just Works(TM)
distro, I find that I quickly switch to fluxbox.  Despite all the
features of a desktop environment (as opposed to a window manager) these
days, most of the time, even if I want to do something graphical or run
xine, it's easier for me to, in fluxbox, open an rxvt terminal, which I
can do with a keystroke, and type the command.  

> 
> As a Linux NOOB myself I found the urpmi command invaluable to
> getting my system up-to-date and software installed, especially
> the libdvdcss stuff, which is why I switched from OS/2 to Linux
> in the first place! I need to watch my DVDs!!! I really need a
> simple way of finding and installing all this stuff, that's 
> why I stick with Mandrake. A guy's got to learn to walk before
> he can run! :-)

Ironically enough, many of the newcomer friendly distros are based on
Debian, which is considered a hard distribution for the beginner.  Their
apt-get system of package management makes things very easy.

There are now a great many distributions which have made package
management a breeze.  (Most seem based on Debian)  

The advocate side of me thinks this is good, because it makes it easier
for people to leave MS.  The crotchety side of me thinks it's bad,
because it means that we get more people who aren't willing to learn.

However, when I first wanted to try Linux,in the late nineties, I chose
a newbie friendly distro (Caldera, before they became evil).  As time
passes, I think one either becomes more interested in getting beneath
the GUI (which sounds like a horror movie) or they don't.  

Also, a great deal of it depends upon what interests you--I forget who
said it, but it has been said that make a problem interesting to someone
and they'll solve it. I enjoy researching and finding out how to make
mutt do what I want.  Conversely, I hate dealing with printers, and I
want them to just work.   Also, if one does a google search and just
uses the words cups and japanese, the first 100 hits or so are about tea
and sake.  :)  (Putting in the word "printing" helps.)



- -- 

Scott Robbins

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