Re: using the panel to uninstall packages.

[famrom idecnet com (Guillermo S. Romero / Familia Romero)]

>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?

Power means responsability and knowledge, IMO. Like with cars or weapons,
with the details that a home computer can not kill people (OK, it can but is
harder) and for the other two things you need a license.

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

Administration.

>	Run programs

User thing.

>	Remove programs

Administration.

>	Interact with files (put them on floppies, etc.)

User thing.

>	Install hardware and drivers

Administration.

>	Remove hardware and drivers

Administration.

>	Connect to the internet
>	Use e-mail
>	Browse the web

User thing.

>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.

They do, without the name. Have you ever tried to tell them that when they
install something they are administering Windows? The difference with Unix
is that here you can choose to use a less powerful user (avatar?) to work,
leaving the god-like one for important things.

For those users that do not want to learn what admin / root / whatever means
I offer a quick, fast and simple solution: run as root (do not flame me) or
do not use Unix. I do only one comment: "if you run as root, you can do
anything, like in Windows, including formating you hard disk, remember when
you deleted that file by error? And when that virus killed all that data
that you have to use next week?". If the user still wants to run the risk,
let him. Casualities and injuries are normal in life. I do not want to be
the parent of users I meet. ;]

Create nice and easy GUI, OK. Remove the security mechanisms, no. If you
want to play with fire, play.

GSR