the problem with Linux?

[Jeremy Wakeman]

On Tue, Apr 06, 2004 at 10:33:11PM -0400, Fraser Campbell wrote:
<snip>
> He makes some good points.  I remember trying to talk someone through 
> configuring network interfaces using Redhat's GUI tools (probably RH8). The 
> funniest thing was the guy on the phone telling me how great all these new 
> GUI configuration tools were in Redhat, this despite the fact that they 
> didn't work!!!

I have heard dozens of people complain about how difficult Linux is to use
and configure.  In almost every case, the complaint was not actually about
the relative difficulty as compared to, say, MS Windows, but about the lack of
a GUI, or about differences between the Linux GUI and its Windows counterpart.

In my experience, Linux is easier, or at *least* makes more sense, and
I attribute much of that to the "to configure, edit the /etc/program.conf
file" nature of non-GUI Linux configuration.  However, many people seem to
be unwilling or unable to get past the shock of a command prompt staring
them in the face.  I have to completely agree with Neal Stephenson's
suggestion (and the great example above) that people want GUI's more than
almost anything else.  I think the best direction for configuration tools
aimed at end users (esp people new to non-proprietary operating systems)
is to design a good-looking, intuitive GUI that is, in function, as close to
"edit the /etc/program.conf file" as possible.

That's what makes sense to me.

-Jeremy

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Jeremy John Wakeman
cael-JTkAzvGkdyMrpQx6IzTi3laTQe2KTcn/@public.gmane.org
www.polarhome.com/~cael
linux registered user #125171
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