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Open Source for Dummies?

Posted by Cliff on from the reaching-the-masses dept.

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?"

2 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Re:i got a better idea... by renehollan · · Score: 5, Insightful
    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?"

    WHOA!

    Users and 'configure; make; make install' do not go together. Unless, of course, by "user", you mean a developer foriegn to open source conventions. This would most likely include non-Unix developers.

    While it is appropriate for users to compile and install their own open source software, like the parent points out, this should happen automagically for them: insert CDROM, click "OK", watch it compile and install (or not and offer to email the build log to the development team).

    If your audience are developers not familliar with open source conventions (and, by extention important licenses like the GPL), then, yes, technical things like "here's the standard way to build" a package should not faze them (unless, perhaps their microSofties that have never seen the outside of Developer Studio.

    --
    You could've hired me.
  2. NEWSFLASH! by mildness · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It's not the users that are clueless it's the architecture.

    The usual 'configure; make; make install' step should not exist! This is the single most awful thing about Linux. God help the user that has a dependency problem.

    Binaries should just slide on in. At worst your install program should do any voodoo required.

    Ready to be modded into oblivian now,

    Bill (who started on V7 Unix thank you very much)

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    bamph