Re: using the panel to uninstall packages.

[Data Zone <datazone airmail net>]

On Tue, 15 Feb 2000 12:06:44 Miles Lane wrote:
> 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

and you wonder why there are som any windows based virii?  when any user 
can make system wide changes, they compromise themselves, all the othe 
rusers, and the entire box.  If people can learn to live with NT and 
Win2K, since it has that sort of permissions thing... then they can 
adapt to linux.  if they need to install and uninstall stuff, their 
distro sould provide a gui package manager frontend that allows them to 
enter the root password if they choose so that they can install or 
uninstall stuff... unlike NT where you will actually have to log the 
user out.

> 
> 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.
> 
> 
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