John wrote:
>> One things GUIs can do is present a bunch of pre-set defaults or pick up
the current settings so you only have to change a few particular items,
and they can check the ranges and syntax of the entries before trying to
apply them. Webmin does a fair job on this considering the wild
variation in the applications it offers to manage, but you still have to
generally understand what the application does and what the options mean
in order to use it. A task-oriented tutorial using webmin might get
people through some operations where they'd have trouble with man pages.
Case in Point Here Now: My sister has been using Linux for a year now. I
can see her now when I tell her to install Webmin, Open a Browser and
type http://localhost:port_number.
There's an rpm for the webmin package (somewhere...) and you can
bookmark the browser link. The remaining problem is that all it really
can do is help you get the syntax right.
Now that's getting into Admin
territory not the user base. Although that's a better idea than most
would concieve of.
The issue that isn't going to go away even if you try to cover it up is
that you have the full range of administrative decisions and commands at
your disposal and, depending on what you want to change, you may need
them.
When she needs something done that does not have a GUI or Pictorial
directions it's like me baby sitting my son hand in hand.
The first question is what a new user needs that isn't done by default
and fix it so it doesn't need to be done at all. The only problematic
parts are the ones that need questionably legal components (mutimedia
codecs, etc.).
Having things
of this nature is saying CentOS is Competent Enough to stand on its' own
two feet and not rely on the outside world for how to do something.
But, is the 'something' you want to do more like picking out a cold
remedy from the corner drugstore or doing major surgery. You have the
full range of tools for both, but some details need a little more
thought than others.
Ahh, there was mention of the User Documentation in another mail from
March, that for some of it I even can't make heads or tails out of it.
Some things still need a How To where it is in the User Docs or not.
'Some things' is a pretty broad range.
--
Les Mikesell
lesmikesell@xxxxxxxxx
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