[Fsf-friends] Broken pgms

[Praveen A]

2007/4/29, Mahesh M <maheshmukundan at gmail.com>:
> I know what apt is, what it does. I do use aptitude and synaptic pakage
> manager. The alien, dpkg and rpm are also some wat knon to me.
>

But from your earlier mail, it didn't look like so. Why would you want
to use rpm, alien and dpkg when you know apt/aptitude and synaptic
does the dependency resolution and expect rpm/dpkg to resolve
dependencies when you know well that they won't?

Would a new user go to command line and type dpkg or he goes to menu
and click on synaptic?

>   Its not about i knowing all these. But if a newbee comes and uses it...
> Will he have all the patients to sit and learn all these.. Sorry to say, but
> such an attitude in us is perhaps the greatest strrength for M$ idiots...

What is there to learn about synaptic? Does he have to worry about
dependencies? All software listed in synaptic are tested to work with
the rest of the system.

> We never bother to think in the way of those people who dont even know how
> to use computer. I hope GNU/Linux is not just for the Engg. guys. Though a
> lot of work have been done in simplifying all these to some extend, many of
> them never occur within few clicks.. Does it? And a lot of prequisites are
> expected, rt..

I thought the default install suffice for those who don't know how to
use a computer. They have a web browser, email client, office program
which can read and write their MS Office files, have a chat program
that works with all popular IM services, a music player and movie
player that plays popular formats (debian comes with mp3 and mpeg
support, he might need some tweaking if he has videos in proprietary,
and the issue is legal).

> Why the hell should a normal user try to know how things work inside. They
> can never see the beauty of Synaptic Package Manager. All they want is, U
> put a CD that is supposed to install  x, y, z..., and it does it without
> much interaction with user. Many are used to such a kind of work. They are
> not patient enough. I may do it, thats coz i like doing it. But all are not
> like that. Are they?

I still don't get it. Are you assuming things? Isn't it how it works
already? [Well, I agree it wasn't like this before, but why would we
worry about problems which we have already resolved]. Give them th 3
debian etch dvds. It has everything that they needs (minus things
which we cannot have it legally). Now if you want to make that too
easier for the newbie user you can do it. Would you spent some time on
it?

Ok do it this way. go to http://debian-multimedia.org/

add the repositories to your sources.list

install w32codecs
and other which you think a normal user would need. You might want to
include beryl http://debian.beryl-project.org/ in the cd as well.

(you are not considered as a normal user so you could do all this
easily or with some effort in learning stuff).

Now create a local repository. Here you will have some details
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/ch-basico.en.html#s-dpkg-scanpackages

burn the repository onto a cd. Now upload the cd image on the net if
you like. Give the cd to the 'users'. They can add the cd to their
repository using gui alone. Open synaptic and go to edit -> add cdrom

now browse the multimedia list and install the required package. Now
before you cry it is difficult show us what you have done to change
the situation. This is not rocket science. Show us the cd (I have done
this before).

> How many of the *normal* users are aware of such a guy..? How many of them
> will try to find out?

You can tell them right? Why are you not doing anything to change the
situation and blame everyone else? Are you not part of the community?
can't you do this simple thing (make a cd with the required
dependencies to make life easier for the normal user)?

> And will he be able to distribute it through the country? See in such a
> percpective where in the need of the user is completly satisfied.. The
> costemer point of view.

Are you ready to pay for the service. We are talking about Free as in
Freedom not as in Free cds or Free service. If you pay him he will be
ready to offer his service till you are happy.

> How many users will *dare* to do experiments with their new PC? How many
> will even *think* of learning  to do things, in a world like this.
> I have a million students, mostly avg guys, who donot understand the
> complexities of things behind computers, coming and asking me such simple
> questions. I have seen things in their point of view. I do undersatand their
> concern. For eg. Just revise the mail of Antony.. He too perhaps has felt
> the same.. they want things to be simple. And they will go for that which is
> simple.

Don't bring students here as normal users. They need to know how
things work, because they are going to make new things in the world.
Who said everyone has to spent time on experimenting, you could pay
someone to do it for you. Now there is http://zyxware.com/ in TVM who
offers support for PCs and laptops with Free Software. Yes it is very
simple now. Just call up this guys, tell them what you want, they will
do it for you, and pay for the time they have spent. We are not
talking about Free lunch or illegal copying here. Hope you get it.
Show me the add on cd before you reply. [You are a computer science
engineering student and you could do it very easily]

Cheers
Praveen

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