Open Source for Dummies?

GNUpowerSoul asks: "I have been working for several years on a large open source library. Ever since we made our first public release three years ago, we have found that the majority of our users seem to have no experience whatsoever with open source ideas and conventions. We have had to dumb down our documentation considerably (to the point where we have multiple pages to describe in excruciating detail the usual 'configure; make; make install' step). Has anyone else had experience in how to deal with a user community who doesn't understand the 'normal' practices for open source projects?"

Comments

OK, here is my problem

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I am an experienced PC user (from 95% windows / dos background), and a sysadmin if a fairly large company. I am mostly self-learned, and the main difficulty I have with open source - linux is that most instructions assume a level of knowledge that I dont have, so I end up getting frusterated and dropping the project. Like, I am trying to get sendmail configured to act as an intermediary between our exchange server and the web, and filter out content. Well I have found some helpful guides, they all say something like 'compile sendmail' and I'm stuck not knowing HOW! I do phone support, and 90 percent of the time I just rattle off..

'click start' then click settings' and click on the control panel... well, start is the button in the lower left that says 'start'... no, its not a button on your PC, its on the screen... yes, I am sure its not a button on the front of your computer...

Anyways, you get the idea. Make it simple, or at least someone out there make a basic guide on things that most instructions take for granted! :)