[Gllug] Linuxemporium - Pink Tie
Adam Bower
adam.bower at framestore-cfc.com
Fri Nov 22 09:56:52 UTC 2002
Mike Brodbelt wrote:
<snip>
all of your arguments about debian are exactly why I would reccomend it
for new users, like I have always said I came to debian as a newbie when
the GUI auto hardware detecting installers would not work on my machine.
It wasn't a case of going text mode only either, there was some part of
the install that would fail.
That means that Debian (possibly slack) was the only distro that would
work on my machine. Many times I have had a newbie turn up to a Lug
meeting saying Linux won't install on their computer, you get the
Redhat, Mandrake etc. CD and try it, and lo and behold it won't work for
some obscure reason go grab a Debian CD and five minutes later you have
Debian installed, what some of the nice whizzy distros need is a mode
akin to windows hardware detection so that if something breaks on the
install you can reboot and it will try again with a different kernel or
boot manager install etc. etc. doing it automatically for you and not
have to pass evil kernel parameters at boot as that is too much for a
newbie.
Further to the windows is easier to install bit, windows is easier to
install than any linux because M$ don't like other OS on your machine.
If the Linux installers had the same attitude as M$ (wipe the C drive)
and start again then it would be very easy to have a "I am not sure how
to install" installation option and you would only have to stick the
disk in and 20 minutes later have a fully working system. Linux has to
co-exist most of the time, windows has never liked to co-exist up until
XP which iirc did not remove Lilo.
Anyhow people don't care what OS they run, they just want something
quick and easy, which means when your pc comes home from pcworld with
windows installed you don't change. Its easier this way, that is why my
girlfreind is currently running Windows XP on her new computer, she
doesnt want to have to remove XP, repartition the disc etc. etc. and
seeing as all she uses the computer for is to browse the web, use
webmail and jabber she can't find a pressing reason to change yet. She
is also somebody who does care and is technically litereate and has over
10 years experience with unix type systems so it is far less for
windows. The way she sees the computer at the moment is not as an
operating enviroment but as a web browser and jabber client.
Adam
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