Re: using the panel to uninstall packages.

[Miles Lane <miles amazon com>]

Daniel Veillard wrote:
> 
> On Tue, Feb 15, 2000 at 09:45:29AM -0800, Miles Lane wrote:
> > I wonder about that permissions thing.  For Linux to penetrate the
> > home market with naive users, there'll need to be a configuration option
> > that makes it easy for users to easily do all the things needed to do
> > what they want to do.  This includes adding and removing programs.
> 
>   This need root access. I have the feeling taht you need to study
> more the state of the art before suggesting to apply the "well-known
> but doesn't work right" mechanism found on Windows.
>   Before designing a solution for "home market with naive users" one
> really need to understand the potential problems very well, as well
> as be fully knowledgeable in the state of the art,

I'm talking about a migration path for folks who have already learned
a different way of doing things.  It's fine to have a system that can
be made bullet-proof for the users who want to spend the time to learn
how to do so.  Having an option that basically allows a naive user to
install and remove programs easily basically is just enabling them to
do what they'll do anyway if you give them the root password.  Where's
the benefit, then?

The people I am talking about want to do the following:

	Install programs
	Run programs
	Remove programs
	Interact with files (put them on floppies, etc.)
	Install hardware and drivers
	Remove hardware and drivers
	Connect to the internet
	Use e-mail
	Browse the web

That's about it.  System administration is not what these people
want to do.  If you want to cause a Windoze user's eyes to glaze
over, just say "system adminitration."  These are users not admins.