On Sat, 2008-04-05 at 15:12 -0500, Les Mikesell wrote:
John wrote:
One things GUIs can do is present a bunch of pre-set defaults or pick up
the current settings so you only have to change a few particular items, and they can check the ranges and syntax of the entries before trying to apply them. Webmin does a fair job on this considering the wild variation in the applications it offers to manage, but you still have to generally understand what the application does and what the options mean in order to use it. A task-oriented tutorial using webmin might get people through some operations where they'd have trouble with man pages.
Case in Point Here Now: My sister has been using Linux for a year now. I can see her now when I tell her to install Webmin, Open a Browser and type http://localhost:port_number.
There's an rpm for the webmin package (somewhere...) and you can bookmark the browser link. The remaining problem is that all it really can do is help you get the syntax right.
Well that's a women for you though. Now I just started an argument. But wait that is only just One not all of you women.
Now that's getting into Admin territory not the user base. Although that's a better idea than most would concieve of.
The issue that isn't going to go away even if you try to cover it up is that you have the full range of administrative decisions and commands at your disposal and, depending on what you want to change, you may need them.
But 75% don't know how to. All they know is they downloaded the cds. Took them a week to figure out how to make a bootable install disk. Then finally 24 hours to install the OS. Six hours to get on the Internet. Another 5 hours to setup email.
Email is a good one "Evolution" I can devote time to that also. Configuration with something like GMail.
When she needs something done that does not have a GUI or Pictorial directions it's like me baby sitting my son hand in hand.
The first question is what a new user needs that isn't done by default and fix it so it doesn't need to be done at all. The only problematic parts are the ones that need questionably legal components (mutimedia codecs, etc.).
Would be nice to have a Multimedia Install Disk??? But then there's all the Legal questions
Having things of this nature is saying CentOS is Competent Enough to stand on its' own two feet and not rely on the outside world for how to do something.
But, is the 'something' you want to do more like picking out a cold remedy from the corner drugstore or doing major surgery. You have the full range of tools for both, but some details need a little more thought than others.
I'll send a mail to the Docs List for discussion of a few.
Ahh, there was mention of the User Documentation in another mail from March, that for some of it I even can't make heads or tails out of it. Some things still need a How To where it is in the User Docs or not.
'Some things' is a pretty broad range.