RE: Modern File Hierarchy
by Peter Kukums
Just my two cents worth.
I think more time should be spent on bits that don't work not bits that
do.
For example, the package update process. I installed Fedora Core 5 on a
new system and I was impressed with how well it worked without much
intervention on my part.
But yesterday I performed an update of all my installed packages and now
I can no longer print to any of my printers (CUPS was updated). How can
beginners possibly cope with something like this?? As part of desktop
usability they would expect what was once working to keep working!! The
update process should be more transparent. And as a beginner I can also
see no easy way of rolling back to a previous working version either!
17 years, 7 months
Modern File Heirarchy
by Bryan Livingston
Do away with the standard unix directory heirarchy. It's archaic,
non-intuitive, non-internationalized and dangerous from an application
management perspective.
This would be a massive change to the entire system, primarily
consisting of creating some standard env variables that point to
standard directories. Also a switch to application directories would
be done.
A linux distribution has been built around this idea and has been
successfull at working out the technical details. It's called
GoboLinux and you can find out more about it here:
http://www.gobolinux.org/?page=at_a_glance They have a piece on
common conserns about the idea here:
http://www.gobolinux.org/index.php?page=doc/articles/clueless
This would take big steps in both usability and internationalization,
which are both top goals for Fedora. I'm hoping that the Fedora
leadership is serious enough about pushing the state of the technology
that they will seriously consider such an idea. It will have to
happen eventually in my opinion.
This is done on the windows world, and is one aspact that makes
windows easier to use and more flexible than Fedora. There are 12 env
variables on my win xp system that point to directories for various
things.
--
Bryan Livingston
17 years, 7 months
usability: fedora's killer app? Clean-Install Assistant...
by Morgan Read
What's the worst thing about operating systems and progress?
Clean-install/Re-install/Upgrade
And, fedora has both: allot of OS and allot of progress
While reading over the usability discussion on the devel list, I noticed
someone's comment on the frantic release cycle - which is great, I want the
latest and greatest. But, the clean install every 6mths or less has got the be
the biggest pita for fedora.
This is of course true with all OSs, only fedora clicks over three times the
speed of anything else. Three times the pita. And we all want a clean-install
cf. upgrade because we all want to make use of the latest and greatest fedora
has to offer (never mind the questions of whether an upgrade ever actually works
- on any OS).
Many years ago I installed all the interactions between MacOS 7.1 and 8.1, and
then some. The greatest thing I ever found was this:
http://www.marcmoini.com/C-IAssistant.html
It's called Clean-Install Assistant. A wizard that steps you through the
process of saving your custom config (by comparing the system against a database
of non-custom system) installing a clean system and then re-installing the
custom config.
Of course fedora is somewhat more sophisticated than MacOS 8.1, but the
principle's the same. Basically, what I have to do at least every 6mths is:
- List my packages
- List all changes to /home/me/
- List all changes to /etc/
- back up /home/me/ and /etc/
- Clean install
- List my new packages and yum the diff
- Go through my lists of /home/me/ and /etc/ and move-reconfig from the backups
- Then muck around for the next month or so fine tuning all the stuff that I
don't know about and never will that naturally gets customised through use
- By which time it's time to go through the whole process again! (not quite:)
So, what a blessing it would be to have a wizard that by a few clicks of a mouse
stepped you effortlessly and comprehensively through that pita I've just listed
above.
I know, my Mac heritage is showing:) But, the principle is a valid one and what
a relief it would be.
M.
--
Morgan Read
NEW ZEALAND
<mailto:mstuffATreadDOTorgDOTnz>
fedora: Freedom Forever!
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Overview
"By choosing not to ship any proprietary or binary drivers, Fedora does differ
from other distributions. ..."
Quote: Max Spevik
http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/17/177220
17 years, 7 months
