On Fri, 9 Sep 2005 08:39:58 -0400 Hendrik Boom <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > The point is, the playing field isn't fair. Since a user's computer > > already comes with Windows, they MUST go through an installation process > > to install Debian. The idea is to make that installation process as > > easy as possible to facilitate the switch--it's really less about the > > philosophical viewpoint of user laziness and about the reality of the > > current situation. Why do you think they make those "restore cds" that > > come with computers? > > To keep people from installing it in an even slightly different > configuration. It's quite difficult in practoce to get a real > Windows install disk with a new laptop. It's not that uncommon for one of the restore disk to say 'Windows XP installation disk' and actually be a Windows disk. But that assumes that the maker of the laptop is not fleecing their customers by stuffing everything onto a restore partition on the hard drive, omitting the restore disk, and then requiring the customer to pay $50 bucks to get restore disks if the hard drive fails, or the restore partition is damaged by virus, spyware, stupidity, etc... If you can find a place that gets bare bones laptops and puts the stuff you want into it or is in some other way custom ordered without all the crap of the large OEMs, that would be preferred. On the more general topic of the Debian installer, it is a work in progress and more could be done to make it easier for people who just want to use the computer to get things done without having to get a computer science degree. But... I just went through an installation and at the stage where it asked I chose Desktop as the installation type and additionally selected that I want to choose packages to install. The X Windows System was already selected for installation along with GDM and a variety of Gnome and KDE stuff and I was taken through the configuration of the X server and the MTA and I got a GDM login when I was done. On the one hand newbies will probably find it a bit much, on the other hand looking at the defaults and the options a newbie is likely to choose it is not that hard to arrive at a working installation assuming it is not thwarted by incompatible hardware, on the third hand you never know what users are going to do and when they will stray from the defaults and spiral down the road to a failed or incomplete installation. There was a lot of improvement in the installer and I have no doubt that will continue, so I don't have any major complaints as far as ease of installation goes. What I see as the biggest failing is in not providing a Desktop-light selection for people who have older machines with slower processors and/or less memory. Damn Small Linux provides a good option for these older machines, but it is semi limited by the fact that it's developers want to keep the .iso under 50 MB. Later, Seeker -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
