On (06/01/06 12:18), Andy Streich wrote: > I really appreciate this topic and am delighted to see experienced Debian > users responding positively to the "help, help" emails. Andrew's question is > the critical one: is Debian for newbies or not? From my own experience over > the last couple of years I'd say it is not -- unless the newbie has strong > technical skills and lots and lots of time to read manuals and this email > list and getting the system up-and-running quickly is not critical. Without > a prior Unix/Linux background or the dedicated help of a local expert, you > have to approach Debian at the very least as a time consuming, very technical > hobby.
I disagree about strong technical skills but you need some time and motivation to learn. The 'new' sarge installer it is a lot easier than installing woody. > I think many in the community would say, "But that's as it should be. If you > don't have the dedication to figure things out, go to another distro, stick > with Windows, or buy a Mac." To me that's short sighted. If Debian is to > remain vital, it needs to keep attracting new users. It clearly does attract new users, often those who've tried a derivative distro but want something more. That said, it would be nigh on impossible to satisfy all potential users; however, between the range of derivative distros and debian itself, most needs are covered. > > In addition to the other suggestions on how to improve the newbie experience, > I would add creating yet another mailing list specifically for people trying > to establish a stable installation. Like other diehards on this list I can > filter 150 emails/day. That's not true for all and a newbie especially. I've never filtered the list mail (incl. boot, powerpc and user) because I learn so much from reading about other people's problems and solutions. As a newbie, most of it went over my head but over time, much of it began to make sense. Regards Clive -- www.clivemenzies.co.uk ... ...strategies for business -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
