Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 10:51:59 -0400 From: "Jerold McAllister" <jerrymc@msu.edu> To: Alex Zbyslaw <xfb52@dial.pipex.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, Pete Slagle <freebsd-questions@voidcaptain.com> Subject: Re: Efficacy vs. "friendliness" [Was: How to fix init -> /etc/ttys?] Message-ID: <E1GLLEV-0003FO-IT@sys14.mail.msu.edu> In-Reply-To: <45002AF6.4040804@dial.pipex.com> References: <20060906200225.GA35990@thought.org> <44FF3404.2040405@infracaninophile.co.uk> <20060907000141.GA36761@thought.org> <45001A3B.70800@voidcaptain.com> <45002AF6.4040804@dial.pipex.com>
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Alex Zbyslaw writes: > Pete Slagle wrote: > >> 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> >> >> 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. >> > You are confusing two things, to my mind. 1) The GUI-ness of th OS 2) The > GUI-ness of the installer. I would strongly object to a FreeBSD that > forced some kind of "desktop environment" on me or that mandated only > controlling what software runs through "smart wizards", but I think there > is little danger of that. > > But the FreeBSD installer is somewhat long in the tooth. I don't think > anyone would object to an installer that was a bit more straightforward > and, say, easier to configure. Of course, it would have to keep the > flexibility which sysinstall gives, but there's no reason why it couldn't > give a more straightforward install path for first-time users of FreeBSD > who have experience with other Unix-like OSes, or even moderately > competent windows users. > > Once you get the hang of it, sysinstall is mostly fine, but really, making > it better is not somehow pandering to the great unwashed. OK. Good perspective. Seems like you have your work cut out for you then. I will be interested in seeing the result. ////jerry > > --Alex > > > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" >
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