Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 17:32:49 -0700 From: "jdow" <jdow@earthlink.net> To: <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Efficacy vs. "friendliness" [Was: How to fix init -> /etc/ttys?] Message-ID: <04f301c6d2de$537ab080$0225a8c0@Wednesday> References: <20060906200225.GA35990@thought.org> <44FF3404.2040405@infracaninophile.co.uk><20060907000141.GA36761@thought.org> <45001A3B.70800@voidcaptain.com>
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From: "Pete Slagle" <freebsd-questions@voidcaptain.com>
> Gary Kline wrote:
>
>> <SOAPBOX>
>> Anyway, this is to the entire list: A week or so ago
>> I loaned my 5.3 set to a non-geek friend who had occasionally
>> been using RH. He brought the box of discs back and said it
>> was too hard to install; that RH had a much easier installation
>> process. True. So I gave him my old Ubuntu boot disk. He's
>> happy with it. ---I realize how much smaller the FBSD hacker
>> base is.... Still, having a GUI-ish intro makes sense in
>> gaining new converts. I'm still here because this Berkeley
>> distro really *is* solid. One fatal trap in 11 years I
>> can handle.
>> < SOAPBOX>
>
> It's a test. If your friend thinks FreeBSD is difficult to install, then
> he is probably better served by something else. There are many choices.
> All is well.
>
> The idea that FreeBSD should be altered to better compete in a
> popularity contest for new users comes up regularly on this list, but
> that idea is suspect.
>
> Many FreeBSD users see it as a feature, an advantage, that no
> "GUI-ish"-ness impedes access to the O/S. Which is not to say that the
> GUI-ish stuff isn't available, but the beauty is that it isn't in the
> way when you don't need or want it.
>
> Changing FreeBSD to be more "friendly" to new users would inevitably
> make it less appealing to the experienced users who value concision,
> efficiency, and direct control (who comprise it primary user base) and
> thus is to be resisted.
FedoraCore 5 certainly is easier to install. However, (due to a need
for some sleep and food in there somewhere), the install and initial
update is still churning along almost 20 hours after it started. Even
on a DSL line a gigabyte of update takes quite awhile to install. And
this is before I install any of the custom configuration needed to make
it perform its particularly needed job.
I noticed that FreeBSD 5.x was somewhat quicker than that to get up,
running, and up to date. But it does require some intelligence to
use it and bend your mind around the slight differences. It looks so
similar at first glance there's little clue that you're learning a
different "language".
Of course there are the desktop BSD forks from FreeBSD that the fellow
could consider.
{^_^} Joanne
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