Re: [tlug] First impressions of Gentoo

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

>>>>> "Josh" == Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com> writes:

    Josh> Would it be acceptable to you to have the bit about "emerge
    Josh> -av" added to the manual? I can submit a bug and ride it
    Josh> until it is done (and I think Ulrich Plate might have a bit
    Josh> of involvement with the Documentation Project).

I think that (1) "emerge -av" should be mentioned prominently in the
"to the new to Gentoo" part of the intro, (2) and once more just
before the reboot step where you lose the livecd.  (3) There should be
an "early install" profile which is -X -Gnome -KDE ... which lasts
until a signal from the user (possibly implicit, but I'm not familiar
enough with Gentoo to know what that should be).  Bonus points for a
plausible way to say +links +equery .... :^)  (4) A web browser,
preferably a feature-stripped build of links, should be part of the
initial install.  (If you've got the bonus question right, you don't
need this.)

One approach to the bonus question would be to look at Debian's
virtual system packages (they've got like graphics workstation,
server, OA-oriented, router, etc), and offer that to the user early.

I'm aware that any of these would have saved my butt, and implementing
any one of them would be a big step for many new users, I think.
Still, I think doing them all deserves consideration ... immediately
after the new user's first reboot he's sorta in a "cats on the
keyboard" situation---he doesn't know what he's going to try next, how
can the Gentoo developers?

    Josh> I will see what can be done

I would appreciate that.  I'm really tempted to say "no, I bitched and
I should follow through," but I'm way overpromised for several weeks
to come.


-- 
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University of Tsukuba                    Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
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              ask what your business can "do for" free software.