Comments on: Why Aunt Millie Isn’t Using My Linux Distro http://tottinge.blogsome.com/2007/01/28/why-aunt-millie-isnt-using-my-linux-distro/ Tim Ottinger on Christianity, freedom, software, podcasts, and really hot-looking guitars. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:25:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Tim http://tottinge.blogsome.com/2007/01/28/why-aunt-millie-isnt-using-my-linux-distro/#comment-477 Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:37:08 +0000 http://tottinge.blogsome.com/2007/01/28/why-aunt-millie-isnt-using-my-linux-distro/#comment-477 Thanks for the flash card tip. I've been working with flash cards a lot (for my GP2x and for my Zaurus) and hadn't noticed any such problem, but will be doubly aware. I have converted relatives to Linux (some temporarily) and it's the grandmas and grandpas who complain about web sites and not being able to install things. I think younger people are more savvy about avoiding such things. My father in law catches every virus and trojan imaginable in Windows because he has mouse-impulse-control problems. I won't use any rpm-based distros, and I don't recommend them for others. They're better if one uses a more advanced package manager, to be sure. Agreed, clean and stable updates are important. But I think that the web designers of the world need to wake up and quit writing specific checks for IE and Windows into their pages. And they should burn all copies of FrontPage. Just my opinion. Thanks for the flash card tip. I’ve been working with flash cards a lot (for my GP2x and for my Zaurus) and hadn’t noticed any such problem, but will be doubly aware.

I have converted relatives to Linux (some temporarily) and it’s the grandmas and grandpas who complain about web sites and not being able to install things. I think younger people are more savvy about avoiding such things. My father in law catches every virus and trojan imaginable in Windows because he has mouse-impulse-control problems.

I won’t use any rpm-based distros, and I don’t recommend them for others. They’re better if one uses a more advanced package manager, to be sure.

Agreed, clean and stable updates are important. But I think that the web designers of the world need to wake up and quit writing specific checks for IE and Windows into their pages. And they should burn all copies of FrontPage.

Just my opinion.

]]> by: Jim March http://tottinge.blogsome.com/2007/01/28/why-aunt-millie-isnt-using-my-linux-distro/#comment-476 Mon, 29 Jan 2007 02:51:39 +0000 http://tottinge.blogsome.com/2007/01/28/why-aunt-millie-isnt-using-my-linux-distro/#comment-476 I think you're not giving "Millie" enough credit in some ways. Many people would be willing to give up "web toys" of various sorts for more reliability and immunity to malware. My view is that this age bracket is the least interested in "new stuff" all the time. The reason I discount Fedora Core 6 as a "Granny Millie distro" is that it's own update process sometimes breaks it, as it updates to a very late-model spec. It's taken me to kernel 2.6.19.xx for example and when you consider that Debian Stable 4.0 is about to ship with 2.6.18 family code, you can see that FC6 is pretty "out there". Worse, when FC6 hiccups it does so "abruptly". Error messages are harsh and dumping you to a command prompt (as ugly as that is) is made worse by dire messages about X-Windows being in trouble. There is a "by geeks, for geeks" mindset very much in evidence. Ubuntu (all flavors) tries to alleviate that issue, BUT in the months I struggled with it, Ubuntu Edgy crashed on me several times and then the file system came halfway unglued. Despite unfrendly-looking glitches now and again, FC6 has never once crashed on me, an astounding accomplishment considering how bleeding-edge it is. With just a wee bit more work past the current 10.2 version, I think OpenSuse has a strong chance at being "the big thing" that starts beating up Windows and exceeds at least Mac-level market share. Ubuntu Feisty may also be a contender if they can get at least Dapper's level of stability back. One Ubuntu Edgy tip: DO NOT insert flash media, erase data from it and do a safe unmount without first emptying trash. That's what caused my filesystem to come radically unglued, and it's a known issue. THAT is what would hose Millie up but good. I think you’re not giving “Millie” enough credit in some ways. Many people would be willing to give up “web toys” of various sorts for more reliability and immunity to malware. My view is that this age bracket is the least interested in “new stuff” all the time.

The reason I discount Fedora Core 6 as a “Granny Millie distro” is that it’s own update process sometimes breaks it, as it updates to a very late-model spec. It’s taken me to kernel 2.6.19.xx for example and when you consider that Debian Stable 4.0 is about to ship with 2.6.18 family code, you can see that FC6 is pretty “out there”.

Worse, when FC6 hiccups it does so “abruptly”. Error messages are harsh and dumping you to a command prompt (as ugly as that is) is made worse by dire messages about X-Windows being in trouble.

There is a “by geeks, for geeks” mindset very much in evidence.

Ubuntu (all flavors) tries to alleviate that issue, BUT in the months I struggled with it, Ubuntu Edgy crashed on me several times and then the file system came halfway unglued. Despite unfrendly-looking glitches now and again, FC6 has never once crashed on me, an astounding accomplishment considering how bleeding-edge it is.

With just a wee bit more work past the current 10.2 version, I think OpenSuse has a strong chance at being “the big thing” that starts beating up Windows and exceeds at least Mac-level market share.

Ubuntu Feisty may also be a contender if they can get at least Dapper’s level of stability back.

One Ubuntu Edgy tip: DO NOT insert flash media, erase data from it and do a safe unmount without first emptying trash. That’s what caused my filesystem to come radically unglued, and it’s a known issue.

THAT is what would hose Millie up but good.

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