Date: Mon, 3 Nov 1997 00:41:13 -0700 (MST) From: Wes Peters <softweyr@xmission.com> To: Jan Koum <jkb@best.com> Cc: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD GUI, revisited (was Re: FreeBSD slogan/advert ideas) Message-ID: <199711030741.AAA20103@obie.softweyr.ml.org> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.96.971031153409.29142A-100000@shell6.ba.best.com> References: <199710312325.QAA23834@usr01.primenet.com> <Pine.BSF.3.96.971031153409.29142A-100000@shell6.ba.best.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Jan Koum writes:
> I guess you are right. I did went a bit over the line. But I still
> think that one should know basics of how computers work in order to use
> them. Maybe kernel, file system and etc. are not in the basic group. True.
> But then again the more you know, the more likely you are to take a full
> advantage of the OS and it's features.
No, you're exactly wrong here. How many people know the basics of how a
car works in order to drive one? My wife, for instance, couldn't
explain the theory of an internal combustion engine, let alone time a
camshaft, and yet still manages to drive quite well. (I was with her
the first time she drove with chains on the car, climbing the frozen
mountains outside Pendleton Oregon. She is a *very good* driver. ;^)
Do you think knowing more about the theory of operation of her 1600cc
Corolla, with automagic transmission, would enable her to get more out
of it? Not much - because Toyota has done a good job of making the
operational requirements of the car invisible to the user, outside the
obvious tasks of putting gas into it, and taking it to a qualified
mechanic every 30,000 miles.
> Take our sysinstall for example. It requires that you know basics
> before you use it. Yet, it has options for beginner, medium and advanced
> installation.
Yes, and this is its biggest downfall. The first part of sysinstall
should say: "You have two fixed disk drives in your system. Check the
drive(s) you would like FreeBSD installed on." For each drive checked,
"How much of this disk would you like dedicated to FreeBSD: ___%" This
should comprise the *entire* disk menu.
I know developing software to do this is difficult, if you plan to
support more than one piece of hardware. This doesn't mean it is
impossible, and doesn't mean the FreeBSD group won't have it. As a
matter of fact, many talented people are working on improving the
installation system already.
Let's never forget that making something easy to install means more
people have a chance to understand how good it is. If they can't
install it, THEY WON'T COME!
--
"Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?"
Wes Peters Softweyr LLC
http://www.xmission.com/~softweyr softweyr@xmission.com
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199711030741.AAA20103>