Serious letter.

Forum: DSL Ideas and Suggestions
Topic: Serious letter.
started by: andrewphoto

Posted by andrewphoto on June 06 2005,11:32

Serious letter.
Most peoples computer ability is dismal.
Example, in Microsoft Windows, CTRL+ALT+DEL, & end programs running in background, is beyond most peoples grasp.
Do you get what I am saying.
Linux is a learning curve.
I love DSL, I do not need a million programs (regular size distro.) DSL is plenty to grasp.

Desert island programs.
8 or 10 (army stylie.)
Need;
Text editor.
Word processor.
Spreadsheets.
Graphics programme.
PDF reader.
CD, SVCD (important,) DVD player.
Browser.
Burner.
Image viewer.
10 ?

I judge, best books.
Visual quickpro/quickstart guides, Peachpit Press.
Bernard Babani books. (damn excellent.)
Bible, Wiley.

I wish I could purchase a DSL Visual Quickpro Guide right now (somebody write that book, make good money.)

I would like to believe, the present, the future, elementary Linux (keywords: learning curve,) DSL yes, regular distro no - too much.

Do you get what I am saying.
Love and Light, AndyP.
Debate.

Posted by adssse on June 06 2005,11:46

I agree with you that I dont need most of the stuff that comes with a larger more bloated distro, not to mention it wont run on the two machines I have dsl running on. I am also pretty new to linux and am finding that there is more than enough to learn. Does anyone have any favorite websites/books to help facilitate the learning curve??

Posted by andrewphoto on June 06 2005,11:55

ISBN;
0201354373 or 032121918X (applicable to all Linux.)
0859344703 (EXCELLENT.)
085934486X (forget about this one.)
Best Regards, AndyP.

Posted by andrewphoto on June 06 2005,12:12

Like adssse suggested, please, somebody suggest websites.
Do you get what we are saying.

Example; I've just installed DSL today. God Knows, how many days (would take rookies weeks,) it will take me to remove SOME of the icons off the desktop.

Love and Light, AndyP., and Very Best Regards, to everybody.

Posted by andrewphoto on June 06 2005,12:31

Got (by keyword search,)
'Adding or Changing Icons,' from DSL Documentation Project.
ThankYou username Saidin Unleashed.

Posted by friedgold on June 06 2005,12:42

Quote (adssse @ June 06 2005,07:46)

< The Linux Documentation Project > Is a good place for general linux guides (both in basic and advanced topics).

In particular I think < Introduction to Linux > is great when first learning about Linux.

Posted by andrewphoto on June 06 2005,12:49

Saidin Unleashed, says;
"In your /home/dsl directory you will see a folder called .xtdesktop."
There is NOT xtdesktop folder.
I think do I need to "setup" xtdesk/xtdesktop?
In DSL Documentation Project, I do keyword search for xtdesk & xtdesktop, and I get nothing.

I will persevere...

Posted by clivesay on June 06 2005,12:53

Directories with a '.' before the name are hidden. When in emelfm, click on the "H" at the left hand upper corner of the pane. You will see all the hidden files. If you did a search of the forum for .xtdesktop all forums from the beginning you would get a ton of hits.

Chris

Posted by andrewphoto on June 06 2005,13:03

Friedgold.
I looked at "Introduction to Linux."
I see a VERY VERY LONG list of pages to read.
I look at 'processes, shutdown' page.
I see a VERY MASSIVE amount of text to read.
When I read the book, "Red Hat Linux 6 Visual Quickpro Guide," I am informed of the command, 'shutdown -h now' in no time at all.

Friedgold, I think that "Introduction to Linux," is TOO TOO TOO BIG.

Kind Regards.

Posted by andrewphoto on June 06 2005,13:06

Thank You clivesay.

Posted by clivesay on June 06 2005,13:20

The method I use the most for learning is www.google.com/linux

I find it a very effective way to search. Honestly, though, this forum is so large I can usually find what I want from searching this forum. Also, if you are partial to Knoppix/Debain distros I would suggest the official Knoppix site and forums.

Chris

Posted by andrewphoto on June 06 2005,15:30

Thank You clivesay, I think your advice is good.
Yes, this forum is First, and I guess it is bigger than it may first look.

I have been Red Hat Linux 6 for two years. I got a new (used,) laptop & went to Red Hat 7.1, & 9, but it is too big.
I discovered the QUALITY and brilliance and popularity of Knoppix (& Gnoppix.) Alas, too big for me. I don't want to 'click' the 'start' button and have zillions of programs to ponder (Yes I know I can reconfigure the desktop etc.)

I persevered & discovered the QUALITY Knoppix mini, DSL.
Magic.

I would like to believe that by the year 2012 (or sooner,) DSL may be a COLLOSSAL force in computing.

Who knows, maybe I could write a FANTASTIC 150-1500 word quickstart guide for it.

Best of Best Wishes clivesay, over & out for today, andrewphoto.

P.s. I will study your website tommorrow, mine's, andrewjchapman.co.uk.

Posted by adssse on June 07 2005,04:33

Thanks to everyone for the suggested learning resources.

Posted by andrewphoto on June 07 2005,10:48

Good morning.
Editing .xtdesktop;

table Icon
Type: Program
Caption: Beaver
Command: beaver
Icon: .xtdesktop/beaver.png
X: 8
Y: 90
end

I deleted the lines X & Y, result - Icon still on desktop.
I deleted beaver.png - lost all Icons. I deleted /beaver.png - lost all Icons.
I put everything back and put the letter j (j for jesus christ, this is not easy,) before table;

jtable Icon

That worked, but not very tidy.
So I flexed some muscle and tried - table Icon(hide)
Success (& there's always more ways than one.)

The average Microsoft Windows user could not do that in a million years.
I mean, in Windows, you just right click and delete.
I am NOT saying that the Windows way is the RIGHT way, or the BEST way.
But the knowledge required to edit the .ink file, I am sure this is unnacceptable,.
We still have a long way to go and we have to get there.

Hey, please do not read me wrong, damn, I can carry an OS on a USB swiss army knife.
And when I am at work, taking photographs, wearing an NBC suit, a USB drive is lighter than a PDA, & light is stealth, and stealth is No.1 in my business.

DSL is LIGHT, and light is perhaps FAST, and fast is STEALTH, and stealth is POWER.

Note: my zeal (for want of a better word,) is enthusiasm rooted in light, rather than aggression rooted in darkness.

Posted by clivesay on June 07 2005,11:38

Please remember, you are using an ENTIRE desktop OS in 50mb of space!!

The truth is complete point and click = BLOAT. You can use a Linux OS with KDE that gives you all the windows-like features but it will be MUCH bigger than DSL. There is a price for small and fast but so far I have found the price to be that I have to learn a little....and that's not a bad thing.

It's been talked about many times but Windows has hurt the average user more that it's helped them. By making everything point and click, most have no idea how to do the simpliest of tasks. Then, when things go wrong, they have no choice but to pay people to fix these things. Computing shouldn't have to be so expensive.

You not only learned how to create/modify icons, you also learned that an ink file can not exist without a corresponding image file and was able to correct the problem. I few more braincells were filled with information!

One thing that can really help is documentation of these tasks. I have started a list of screenshot howto's for DSL and hope to add many more in the future. I think if there's good documentation, people will not mind doing a little editing to see what's under the hood. I find many people are fascinated with their computer but are just afraid to try things.

Your posts are interesting, thanks for sharing. I always like reading people's first impressions of DSL.

Chris

Posted by RoGuE_StreaK on June 07 2005,14:26

Quote

I find many people are fascinated with their computer but are just afraid to try things.

And therein lies another beauty of DSL, as a learning tool - if you screw up, you only have to reboot to get it all back to "vanilla" again!
(Or, once you've learned a bit, you can set up so that your vanilla also has your favourite mix of choc chips, banana, milo, whatever, already added!)

Posted by andrewphoto on June 07 2005,16:04

BLOAT = DON'T FLOAT = SINK. I understand.

Love the speed of DSL.

I think it is very very interesting what you say about Windows hurting the average user.

Good documentation, absolutely. Something I am primarily devoting to also.

Sorry my writing today is concise, I am having a very busy day.

Best Regards my friend, andyp.

Posted by andrewphoto on June 07 2005,16:10

YeS RoGuE_StreaK

POWERFUL is the reality of reinstall.
Takes 45 seconds on my 700mhz Satellite.

Best Wishes friend, andyp.