----- Original Message -----
From: "afme@xxxxxxxxxx" <adrianix@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <anaconda-devel-list@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2003 7:03 PM
Subject: newbie
> Hi folks, totally new to L Rh, be warned <g>
>
> I gather redhat writes the install help files and the installing book, white, psyche v 8.0, so I write
> this. You want feedback, here's some. If you find it useful, feel welcome. Also tried to activate,
> failed miserably, hhmm, Also still have not figured out how to get the GUI going as I read none of
that
> in the autoinstall.
>
> What's a steep learning curve?
>
> It's like being shifted into a swahili home without any swahili. FI it took me THREE days to try and
> type in, at text, setup agent and NONE of the linux labels meant a thing so how does not choose? Took
> one day to figure out root, and my password was a piece of cake I typed that in myselluf. The problem
is
> also that for most people they dunno what gives inside their head while DO-ing things; one has to
learn
> to dualboot there as well. So they cannot explain how what went wrong, can they?
>
> Anaconda assumes you know what you're doing and I don't. So I ended up with no gui in text mode which
> took me two days before I figured out to type in root, which I saw nowhere while doing a personal
setup
> on autoinstall. I think this is fairly normal.
>
> A language, any language, math and programming included, is a self enclosed system in which every word
> is explained either by another word or an assumption one cannot figure out because one cannot
understand
> any word, yet, as a beginner.
>
> Try a dictionary and you'll find every word explained by other words IN THAT dictionary. Polyglots are
> no use either. Crossing dictionaries is dangerous. Try Random and Oxford, haha. So too for any native
> speaker of any language. When I learnt English I read the O.E>D, 2 vols from end to end and then I
got
> a few glimmers. It took three to five years to also soak up the culture - where the assumptions and
> beliefs are buried - and BEGIN to speak a little like a native. I don't want to take that long with
> linux and imagine it also happens to other folks who then get some more of that in help files,
> textbooks, FAQ. etc. The word, if you need one, is nomothetic. You may have to use the dict of
difficult
> words, on I-net.
>
> It's the problem of an expert or specialist talking to a ninny or unlettered or some charming comment
I
> read by a linuxite calling newbies "illiterate". Hohum. I was not told by the book or helpfiles, in
> html to type in setup agent and cannot recall HOW to get the gui going so I face it in textmode with
not
> a clue what to do. The blind assumption is the same as with Billy's glitchware: IT assumes everything
> goes as intended, which seldom is the case when something goes wrong and which fills up e-mail lists.
> NONE of the jargon is explained to a BEGINNER. I would like to do another rant on what "simple"
actually
> means, but forbear.
>
> I fully appreciate that the work is done by volunteers, which is why I write this up. So apologies up
> front for any misconceptions either side.
>
> EXAMPLE, in the white psyche book is a section on discs, logical partitions and all that. Did not
> understand a word of it, so phoned a friend.
> WHY?
> The bookwriter picked the wrong metaphor, a box, when "everybubbly" knows by now it is a disc,
metalised
> plastic with rings on it one has to format, etc.. So what about this one? IF it is to be a box why
not
> have boxes inside boxes and not pretty fish scales. Imagine a millipede with untold boots in which
> various details are packed. When you talk to the millipede it shakes its head and starts looking in
its
> boots - the various sectors - to do what's asked. That means the millipede must have the information
on
> where and how to find it - in its HEAD, which is the registry, vfat or whatever else it is called.
> Forget about the bootsector read by a LED, but you may call it its eyes if you like. With a dual setup
> DOS and Linux the milipede is bi-lingual so you first have to tell it which language to use. There's
> pretty screens to help you like the dual bootloader which is automatically installed gives you a
> choice, IF you choose the GRUB< which means: Graphic U? B? I dunno why one gets 5 seconds for linux,
it
> takes some slow readers more than that. I'm a rapid reader but when reading incomprehensrible words I
> take MUCH longer. I had comprehension hiccups changing boxes to rings and a millipede, made no sense
at
> all. Finally managed to delete the RH v6.0 which don't upgrade in manual. Then it worked. No thought
> seems to be given to various wrongs and conditions one might face. I got the 1024 sectors message
being
> repeated three times. I also got neurotic when told to make a boot disc without being told it would be
> dealt with later. SO why not shift the comment to that location in anaconda?
>
> That uses an animistic image we all know and adds, in parentheses, some further detail. You could also
> use a house or kitchen and point out that everybubbly puts things in boxes, cupboards, drawers and
> shelves and so does any computer. They just go by different names.
> Disc: the whole schlambangle banana cake
> Partition: a LOGICAL break which makes one or more virtual or imaginary discs -oops: correct that to
> parts - , mainly to save time for the read head scanning the disc. {that's the bit which makes the
noise
> while searching}
> Sector one of 1000s of magnetised rings on a disc. They are divided into directories or folders just
> like any filing system, inside one of those partitions. For a dual system the formatting - which
> magnetises the rings or sectors to store data - is different so you can EITHER use DOS or LINUX; until
> you learn how "mount" works. In Linux you can change everything in DOS or Windows next to nothing.
This
> last sentence is a bit of suckerbait.
> TO get a new operating Ssystm {OS} like Linux going it has to first format any "free space" on the
disc
> so the install can write the files to the disc, during which it also sets up directories like /root
/dev
> /usr and so on. Unless the free space starts below sector 1024 on any disc MOST likely it won't boot
up
> the system so you either
> A: use a bootup or rescue floppy, or
> B: Make room on lower sectors below 1024 to get a startup dual system going.
> Install reads the discs and will, if you want, check for any free space, which it reports. OR, if you
> want to make space free you have to first DELETE what's in that space
>
> At least that makes more sense on this side of the connection. <G> There to different perspective,
more
> actually, and don't muddle them up. Hence, separate paragraph:
>
> So what you get is a disc on which is parked
> - booting up to read the disc which is done on sector 0 with a LED.
> - Booting up the system -OS, which starts at sector 5 to 10 or so.- which needs several files poked in
> "root" to read the names of the directories or folders - which works like a filing system.
> Then when you issue a command it first consults the filing labels or folders, then finds the files
after
> which it reads the content of a file, which on a PC is called an executable, program or package for
> linux. At that point the chip or CPU - central processor reads the beginning of that file to do as
told
> to the machine, after which you can tell it what next to do. Please remember the chip is a totals
moron,
> so you have to do all the thinking and making choices.
> Then it writes all that to RAM -- Read only Memory- which pokes it on screen after which a mouse and
> keyboard can use it to make changes in the content of a file or package. When you close or end it
> writes it from RAM to disc storing it for next time.
>
> The warning about reformatting, only makes the mugs neurotic when they cannot tell things apart. That
> took me five runs at the banana cake called anaconda.
>
> The best way to test how good one's writeup is to give to a total ignoramus to make red marks wherever
> he get puzzled of flumboogled; very good for the soul.
>
> I am a total ignoramus, WHEN it comes to Linux, and took five days to finally get v 8..0 installed and
> now look at it in textmode, with not a clue because I BELIEVED what I was told that everything was
taken
> care of. Everything that can go wrong, will, unless you know what you are doing, eh? I wanted the gui,
> do I re-install? or what?
>
> YES, I'd like to help writing up -rewriting - some texts, but now dunno what to write YET, and when
I
> do I'll make the same mistakes as every other expert one can imagine. So all I can do is bleat about
the
> problems i had NOW. Like the quanit suggestion on screen to try NO for shutdown, even then it gets it
> wrong. So I push the proverbial button, whence it seems to get its knickers in a twist next round
>
> I'd also like to upgrade to RH 9. but right now that seems several Xmasses away.
> I am also well aware the writers do their best, I'd just want to convert that to "doing well" and I
pray
> you'll do better. I dunno what my best is, never yet succeeded. Maybe next life?
>
> I feel much better now, dunno about you. Only ten spelling mistakes, left two, on purpoise
>
> Adrian.
> Adrian.
>
>
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