__/ [ Jamie Hart ] on Tuesday 22 May 2007 11:17 \__
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
> news:1209798.iBXiHN6XN2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:
>
>> __/ [ thad05@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ] on Sunday 20 May 2007 07:29
>> \__
>>
>>> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>> Showing interest - The myth that Linux is hard to use and expensive
>>>> to maintain is changing.
>>>>
>>>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>>> | Many have observed that open source platforms such as Linux are
>>>> | more secure, and the amount of maintenance required is
>>>> | comparatively less.
>>>> `----
>>>
>>> The myth that seems the slowest to die is the idea that Linux
>>> requires lots of twiddling of text config files, downloading and
>>> compiling of source code, and in general is a geeks only OS. Of
>>> course you and I know that with modern distros and package
>>> managers that is no longer true... but old impressions die
>>> slowly. I've found that the easiest way to convince someone is
>>> to just sit them in front of a real Linux box and SHOW them how
>>> easy it is to find and install apps.
>>
>> It (sort of) upsets me sometimes when people prepare Ubuntu Linux
>> tutorials which use apt-get and other command line utilities. Why do
>> they do this? Because it's quicker and its makes some people look more
>> sophisticated (or maybe they target a particular audience). At the
>> same time, this gives the wrong impression to those exploring Linux
>> from afar or search the Web for a solution. The GUI is right there, so
>> it's a bit like showing someone how 'easy' Java is by demonstrating an
>> assembly code-like library for programming. Luckily, many tutorials
>> nowadays as available as videos. The pipes of the Web help a lot.
>>
> The reason they tend to use command line methods is that it's less prone
> to misunderstanding.
>
> Saying:
>
> "Type: apt-get install xchat"
>
> is easier and less prone to problems than:
>
> "Click on the menu, go to the system sub menu and click on synaptic,
> then click on the search button at the bottom left corner of the window
> that appears, then type xchat in the search box and press enter. When
> the xchat package is shown, click on it and then click on the install
> button."
>
> BTW, I don't use Ubuntu or apt-get so some, all or more of the above may
> be innacurate.
No, it's correct. There are indeed less ambiguities when it comes to the CLI
and in the case of Linux (with so many distros and versions), a lot tends to
be universal (package managers being a poor example).
--
~~ Best regards
Roy S. Schestowitz | McDonald's Certified Sandwich Engineer (MCSE)
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU is Not UNIX | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
http://iuron.com - proposing a non-profit search engine
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