Desktop light installs, user and programmers

["Marco Fioretti" <m fioretti inwind it>]

Hello,

it's me again: nice to see so much interest in this kind of discussion.
It really looks like *there* *is* an itch that needs scratching, isn't
it?

On to another point of view, then:

> >What I would like to see is a lightweight option with a much smaller
> >package list suitable for a networked machine without X, games, tons
> >of user-space apps, but with networking, routing, firewall, ssh,
> >etc. This kind of box will never be used by a newbie,

OK for complex routing and maybe ssh, but why should a newbie not use a
box with networking and firewall on? If you remember, we wanted to
provide a school or low income person with something to do basic
and safe {word processing, surfing, email}: then you do need to start
from those services, and then add user level stuff.

> >experienced user will be able to add what he/she wants with rpm -i
> >after installation.


Possibly without pain, i.e. having in this lightweight install option
the possibility to say right at the end: I want Galeon and mutt, and
you sort automagically all the dependencies, and install all and only
the needed RPM from the local CD (as widely discussed in other threads
recently).

Second and more important: let's be careful when we say newbie, experienced user, and such. Experienced user can certainly be newbies
at the same time, depending from the definition
To me experienced user means one that at least:

	knows he can live and do well without GUI and mouse 
	doesn't cry when editing rc files with VI
	doesn't surf the net as root
	knows how to use RPM

and includes (after a few hours of training) even the smart,
willing to work, village kid who never saw a keyboard before.

He is still a total newbie with respect to programming,compiling,
and so on.

Open Source (power) users, those that put together clever shell scripts, use the PC only in console mode, run ntsysv, edir /etc files, etc.. and
are less and less frequently Open Source programmers, and they are fully
entitled to be so.

To become a power user is almost a duty, if you don't want to
strangle yourself in license costs and such.
To become a programmer should remain a choice.

		Ciao,
			Marco Fioretti