Australian National InstallFest Season

CarrotLord writes: "Australian LUGs are teaming up to present the Australian National InstallFest Season 2000. It started with Adelaide planning for July 15th, spread to Sydney, and now Perth. Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle and other regional centres will be joining up shortly. See the National site, and the LinuxSA (Adelaide) site for details. Also see the writeup in LinuxWorld Australia."

Comments

Re:the key

[Garak]

You call systems that crash every second day easy to use.
Windows isn't the easyest to use in the class room enviroment because it lacks true muti user support. I'm not talking about the ablity for a few people to use a computer at the same time I mean the ablity of a user to have there own settings and files that the next person who uses the computer can't mess with.
The big thing stoping linux in the class room is the teachers they are not very quick to catch on to new software. My teacher who taught me how to do techincal drawings couldn't use the software because I moved one of the tool bars. He would have to do the compleat course over again if the software changes the slightest. And that is why were still using an old buggy version of auto sketch and windows 95.
From a UI point of view linux is the same as windows and is more configureable. In schools you don't need huge menu's of programs like you see under the start button in windows or linux, you only need 10-20 buttons or icons on the screen.
A Linux bases system would be alot easyer to adminster than a windows based system. Once the boxes are configured and software installed the box shouldn't need to be touched. Right now at school every other day I see one of the computers geting windows re installed because some student has guessed the password to fortress, a program that keeps students from changeing setting and stuff, or some program has destroyed the system, viruses, or because some program was running really slow.
Linux is the best thing for the class room. In the schools the computers threw out the day have 7 or more diffrent people using it and each of them want to have there own settings and stuff.

hmmm. isn't it too early for this?

[fudboy]

I know this won't be a popular opinion, but I feel compelled to voice it anyway.

I think this whole idea is a waste of effort. Linux is nowhere near ready for consumers, and any time spent trying to squeeze them into it is no good. Instead, these folks should focus on a chunk of source and help develop this sucka.

There isn't any reason linux can't be made to satisfy both the 133t hax0rs and grandma...

That being said, why not develop this beast to a point where it can be adopted by the standard consumer directly, instead of this 'chicken with its head cut off' approach to getting it out there? We've got people coding wildly on every aspect, marketting/hyping it until we are blue in the face, mocking newbies and flaming windows users, now we even have a variation of the 'boat show' - but no real effort towards making this software usable.

Remember, just because you understand linux inside and out doesn't mean consumers, grandmas, normal business folk, and anyone else isolated from 133t circles understands even basic concepts you take for granted.

I urge everyone to focus on usability, UI shell consistency and a truly stupid learning curve. like windows you say? like any OS that has consumer acceptance going for it. Sadly this only includes windoze and macOS. BeOS doesn't even cut the mustard, with its unixy file sytem layout. my girlfriend still can't get around in BeOS, surely that's the ultimate test, right?

There are no windows 'install fests'... There doesn't need to be. My very own mother reformatted and re-instaleld windows last night. I had to talk her through it a little bit, but she got it most of the way. I doubt she could set up X or even vaguely deal at root level, much less installation. It doesn't have to be this way!!!

:)Fudboy

Installfest good, what about support?

[linuxonceleron]

There's lots of people who are good with computers to a good extent, but haven't heard of this "Linux" thing outside of a 10sec blurb on MSNBC. For this reason these installfests are providing a valuable service, but I'm wondering if there are any books/online resources that could be given to/recommended to the new Linux user? I've seen many a frustrated guru in #linux become frustrated enough to scream RTFM! every time someone asks how to mount their windows partiton. Maybe even a small printout of basic commands and troubleshooting tips could be handed out at the LUG meetings.

PS: I've never been to a LUG meeting, being only 15, I don't know how well I'd fit in.

the key

[fluxrad]

i think one of the keys in this fight (if you want to call it that) is to get kids using linux. get people familiar. I believe that's one of the big reasons mac's refuse to die - is because all kinds of kids are using 'em. Perhaps we need to have install fests in schools...or at least promote linux classes in addition to all those typing and CS classes that many high-schools already offer.

Does anyone know of a school who's major OS is linux? that really ought to change. These install fests do help, but only to people who probably would have converted sooner or later anyway. Let's get kids interested in linux, show them the games they can play, show the really geek-oriented kids how cool it is to hack source.

It's alot easier to get someone to try linux when they've already had at least some exposure to it. Same with anything.


FluX
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