Okay, since this is getting to be a hot topic. A self-explanatory Debian GNU/Linux system for non-administrators does not now exist. These are, I think, the main obstacles to be overcome in order for such a system to be possible:
1. Installation. dselect has sure come a long way. But installation and package maintenance is still not so easy, especially for the novice or Linux newbie. The keystrokes are sometimes confusing, as are some of the messages (especially when a package is listed as "broken" but appears to work fine). Having done a Debian installation just last week, I'm impressed at how far the installation process has come. It is really excellent. But for someone who can't edit a printcap file -- let alone know what one is -- it's clearly not enough. 2. Comprehensive documentation and "best practices." There is plenty of excellent Linux documentation out there and more being written right now, but where does one start? It would probably be a function of the distribution to provide pointers to helpful documentation. For us, the Linux Documentation Project and netnews are sufficient, but what about the newbie who has no interest in administration, which is what we're talking about here? I think it would be a combination of paper and digital documentation, perhaps with some kind of interactive online resource, like a special default shell for beginners (trash -- training shell?) that is restrictive but has some kind of self-paced tutorial built into it. Also, would a document of "best practices" be useful for newbies? This might be necessary because the Linux/GNU world is different from what a newbie is probably used to. The idea of small tools who do their job well and can interact with each other to form a larger whole, a staple bit of UNIX philosophy, is foreign to them. They're used to a few monolithic special-case applications with names like "word processor," "spreadsheet," "desktop publishing." So when the new user is sitting there looking at her X console, how does she, say, compose a letter and print it out? Use TeX? How? How to maintain a database of names and addresses and print them to labels for a mass mailing? Or create a simple flyer with a clip-art image and a few fonts? Not difficult tasks for someone familiar with Linux/GNU, but how would a new user utilize all the powerful software her system is now running? Like the development of Linux itself, I think the answer to this lies in using the net -- be it some kind of web site/search engine with a new interface or whatever, we need some way of compiling all our best practices/techniques and whatnot and making it easily accessible. Not just searching through a huge database but there needs to be some kind of categorization to the mess. 3. Administration. Maybe the answer is as easy as someone suggested--a user simply seeks out those who can do the work, and pays them for the service, when the time comes. So the question is how do these users know where to go? We have to make sure that resource (a listing of consultants and their rates) is readily available and easily accessible. 4. Awareness. When the time comes, the users will have to know that Linux is out there in order to use it! Word-of-mouth and the net have done wonders for Linux and I expect that to continue. Along with advertising from companies such as Red Hat, Caldera, etc. And another resource, one that I think should not be understated, is local users groups. Michael Stutz | DESIGN SCIENCE LABS http://dsl.org/m | Hypermedia, Internet, Linux/GNU bumper stickers,indie rock,rants | Linux: http://dsl.org -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
