On Tuesday 07 May 2019 19:16:59 Felix Miata wrote: > Michael composed on 2019-05-07 11:48 (UTC-0500): > > Felix Miata wrote: > >> Maybe the better question would be does anyone here have any users using > >> POTS and WINE, and if so, on which distro? I haven't haven't suffered > >> POTS or known more than one who has in close to 20 years. The one who > >> has is the owner of the target. He has zero competence in computer setup > >> or maintenance, historically struggling to do much more with internet > >> than collect Windows malware. His email is Juno. > >> > >> Absent a suggestion backed by recent experience with POTS and WINE, I'll > >> be choosing between Mageia, openSUSE and Debian. > >> > >> Target is a Vaio laptop (not mine) with 2.2GHz dual core with 2GB RAM > >> and GM965 14" 1280x800 video. I have an openSUSE maintenance > >> installation (only IceWM for X) on it now, which will stay. > > > > Q’s first: > > > > - POTS as he connects to the Internet by telephone dial up? > > Plain Old Telephone Service (land line). For a long time he had wifi, but > it recently disappeared. > > > - Juno as in Juno WebMail or through a mail client? > > I doubt he knows what a mail client is, though possibly in the past he > might have used a proprietary Juno or Netzero or other cheap proprietary > ISP client. > > > Otherwise: > > > > - User has No computer skills. > > He has a tablet to use when he can get a free wifi connection, which is > rare where he lives. Let's say minimal any kind of skills. He's physically > and mentally challenged to a degree I don't have a handle on, living on > disability his whole life. He accidentally had his head bashed (before he > reached his teens is as much as he remembers). > > > - Needs Wine. (for what?) > > Dunno. Maybe he doesn't. Sometimes he throws out Windows app names I've > never heard of. His poor memory keeps me challenged. > > > - Computer’s technology is 10+ years old. > > 12 or so, first generation of Intel GPUs (GMA X3100) supported by Xorg's > modesetting DDX. > > > # # # > > > > Based upon just the ‘zero competence in computer’ try him on a MX Linux > > Live USB in persistent mode [1]? That should be about the easiest way > > for you to test if the hardware can handle it and once that’s figured > > out, then you can add TDE. > > I don't do USB except for occasional rescues. My interest isn't so much in > what the hardware can support as a desktop he and I and POTS can work with, > with an emphasis on minimal effort from me when he needs help. Without > broadband, his phone is tied up with internet connection at the times he > needs to call for help. Or so I thought. I just found out he has a cell > phone too. Must be an Obama phone. > > I already have minimal openSUSE 15.1 and TDE on Debian Buster installations > on two of five / partitions I allocated for root filesystems. That leaves > two possible distros/desktops to try besides IceWM and TDE (there will be > two openSUSE 15.1: the existing, which will be for me only for fixing > breakage on the other four, and one for him). > > > [1] > > Update the release references to 18.x on > > https://mxlinux.org/wiki/system/create-a-live-usb-w-persist-from-a-window > >s-desktop/ and > > https://wiki.trinitydesktop.org/MX_Linux_Trinity_Repository_Installation_ > >Instructions > > > > This might also help, > > http://inet-design.com/blogs/michael/how-create-bootable-usb-stick-iso-im > >age.html > > > > Or just search, https://mxlinux.org/?s=make+live+usb+persistence > > AFAICT, MX is XFCE-focused. I don't like XFCE (or Gnome, the reason why I > jumped on KDE1 when I discovered it), or that it's built on a gtk3 > foundation, which may be why. > > https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=757142 (wontfix) > https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1269274 (wontfix) > https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1420743 (wontfix) > http://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1022830 (FIXED) > https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1269145 (fixed) > https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=781807 (wontfix) He would probably be better off sticking with Windoze (I hate to say it), but I imagine that a large part of the problem here is money, and I wouldn't recommend that anybody use pirated versions, either, which are possibly the only thing worse than Windoze itself. So you're trying to help somebody less fortunate, which is a good thing. From what I gather of the situation, I would recommend something like PINGuy Linux (based on Ubuntu), if it is still around. https://pinguyos.com/ https://www.distrowatch.com/pinguy I tried it out myself a little, but wanted more control over my own system. However, when I had some friends who wanted to give Linux a try, but weren't techies or geeks at all, and didn't seem likely to make the jump from Windoze to something like Debian, Slackware, etc., I set them up with PINGuy, and it seemed to work pretty well for them. If you are just looking to build a computer for somebody else out of an old box and parts, etc. (which I'm still doing myself), then it requires minimal user input; the firewall is already set up, and I imagine it can handle dial-up, too. ALSO: I sometimes have to use public computers in an area shared by lots of people who are rather similar to your description of this person. The network admin installed Lubuntu (i.e., with LXDE desktop) on all the public computers at this place, and everybody seems to have adjusted pretty quickly. You could also install Debian with LXDE. But then I imagine that you might fall into that trap of having to hold his hand for every little thing, and I myself have a deep appreciation for anybody who wants to avoid people who will not only waste my time, but who will somehow claim more and more of it. Life is short. Either way, I think, you get caught in a dilemma. Do you choose the initial ease of installation, and simple point-and-click interfaces, etc.; or do you choose stability, and trust that maybe you won't have to return too often. Good luck, Bill --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: trinity-users-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx For additional commands, e-mail: trinity-users-help@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Read list messages on the web archive: http://trinity-users.pearsoncomputing.net/ Please remember not to top-post: http://trinity.pearsoncomputing.net/mailing_lists/#top-posting
