Hello: I think Zantara's advice is very, very good. GNU-Linux of any distribution can easily overwhelm someone who has _no_ experience. First, get them connected to the Internet so they can browse and receive this list. If this means using Windows--I would also recommend NT--for a time, so be it. Second, as you point out, advise them to join a LUG so they can meet people and socialize a bit. Finally, have them install SuSE on their machine as a second OS so they can start to learn Linux. This, it seems, makes an important point at this stage of the game: Linux is still too hard for most people. Pushing _very_ naive users into a typical Linux distribution will likely frustrate them, embitter them towards Linux as a whole, and drop them into MS's clutches by default. As they say, my 2-cents.
-----Original Message----- From: owner-suse-linux-e@suse.com [<A HREF="mailto:owner-suse-linux-e@suse.com]On">mailto:owner-suse-linux-e@suse.com]On</A> Behalf Of John Minyard Sent: Friday, November 27, 1998 9:17 PM To: suse-linux-e@suse.com Subject: Re: [SuSE Linux] Help in Norfolk, Va
zentara wrote:
John Minyard wrote:
I have a friend and his wife who are new to computers and
would like to
start them on the right path with Linux. Can anybody help?
Juanito
It will be tough to learn computers from scratch starting with Linux. Most Linux users have some dos and windows experience, so they have an idea of what all the commands do, what the parts of the machine are, etc. Even then you get lost, look at all the questions in this mailing list.
You could set Linux up for them, so they could get on the internet with Netscape, email, ftp, etc. Many people only need this. Then at least they would have a functioning system. They could learn more as they need. But it is hard to learn software such as Gimp if you don't know the difference between a gif, jpg, or avi. Or what the difference between a file and a directory is. If you do go with linux, be sure to learn Midnight Commander. Just type "mc" at the command line. It allows new leaners to see where the files are, and edit them and view them easily.
I hate to say it, but if your friends just want to do things like email, web surfing, and printing out t-shirts on their cheap inkjet printer, then they are probably better off with Windows. At least use NT. ;-) Printing on cheap printers is one area where Windows is better than linux.
You should get them an introductory level book such as the "Dr. Bob's No Nonsense Guide to Linux", or "Linux for Dummies".
You need books when you learn Windows, and Linux is no different.
Go to www.linuxmall.com www.cheapbytes.com and other sites to find cheap books and cdroms. - To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e I can agree with you to a certain extent, but I'm in Austin, tx and they are in Norfolk, Va. His wife is the one who wants to start learning about computers and my thought was to find a Lug to get her attached to. This way, she would not be brainwashed by Windoze, even though she will use it. BTW, she is Russian.
Juanito - To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e
- To get out of this list, please send email to majordomo@suse.com with this text in its body: unsubscribe suse-linux-e