Ideas for 1.6...sound cfg,myDSL and tutorialsForum: DSL Ideas and Suggestions Topic: Ideas for 1.6...sound cfg,myDSL and tutorials started by: flink Posted by flink on Sep. 24 2005,02:00
Decided linux is the way of the future since even copiers are now running lunix. I picked up Linux Format with the mini distros. I ended up with DSL.Some gripes. Sound and sound card config isn't part of DSL Control Panel. Cruising the posts on sound problems. Maybe it should included unless I'm missing something. myDSL is greatest idea I've seen. However, I think that styles are dime a dozen and would be better as thumbnails. Since that would add space, maybe that part should be online or simply ditch all of it for a style editor where users can customize with their own wallpapers, etc. Just keep a core of 5 or 6 with customizing or pick new one over the net. As for other myDSL apps, a 'more' option for viewing more apps over the internet would incourage more programs to be ported. (If it isn't already done.) One thing with DSL users are first time users to linux. Tutorials on linux using DSL, wheither in PDF or HTML would enhance DSL as a learning tool. From the basics of linux to the core commands to desktop to apps. Linux Format released a magazine with Mandrake. Not do I think one can be done for DSL but create income as a starter book with biz card CD OS included. 50 megs --- 50 pages? Something like a paperback novel size like those cheat code books in Brit magazines. Keep up the great work... I'll have to send a few Northern pesos your way soon. ~flink (nickname from an old monitor that the power would flick the monitor off then on.) Posted by SaidinUnleashed on Sep. 24 2005,03:06
Because it breaks the sound system if you don't know EXACTLY what you're doing, it is not made easily accessable in the DSLPanel. It caused way too many issues when it was there.
We have a Wallpaper manager, but if you want more than the 6 styles in the base ISO, use MyDSL.
Not sure what you mean here. MyDSL extensions are scrupoulusly reviewed, deconstructed, reconstructed, poked, prodded, and probed before they are made available to the public. Users submit extensions, and they are reviewed and eventually released for public consumption in the testing are on the MyDSL repository on Ibiblio.
Look at the Wiki, and the pdfdocs/ section on all of the mirrors. -J.P. Posted by Juanito on Sep. 26 2005,09:48
Most things in DSL work very well - as long as the various devices in your machine are recognised at boot time.I suggest DSL 1.6 should include a standardised way of installing drivers for graphics, sound, WLAN, Infrared, etc that are not recognised/included with DSL. In the same way as you can put .dsl extensions in the /optional/ folder, you could maybe put drivers to be installed in a /drivers/ folder. After booting DSL there could be a right-click menu giving you the option to install the drivers one by one. So far I didn't manage to install one single driver successfully (apart from bcm5700.dsl) - maybe I'm missing something but it is a little tedious. Posted by flink on Sep. 28 2005,01:05
So no sound is better than trying to get sound at all? This doesn't make sense. Sound has become an intergral part of the OS. Don't get me wrong, even XP pre-release still had problems with Sound Blaster. That doesn't mean it can't be fixed. Maybe the programmers can take a challenge to come up with a better sound test and cfg tool for DSL. Let's just mark this under 'Needs work.'
None of this covers the basics of DSL or Linux nor do they cover a short guide to programs within. It does contain stuff for programmers which most new comers are not. It also feels that this is the weak spot of Linux that it talks over the heads of potential users who have limited skills. Scanning the shelves at major bookstoes, there was several books that had Live CD and book. What I'm suggesting is DSL have their own book which could be sold to offset costs much like USB drives and CDs. When I told a friend that I was looking at Linux, his line was 'Got your computer rnning yet?' he had to make it plain that it was standard Linux joke but it shows the perception that linux just not user friendly as far as setup concern. While DSL is great that you're up and running in a matter of minutes, it doesn't mean it's entirely there. Having an intro linux in general using DSL would go a long way of getting users to try linux. I've handed out several copies to friends. Some had tried linux and quit. Most have second or third generation computer in their home if they haven't thrown the out (as in the case of this computer) or given them away. So at least computer users have equipment they can try DSL. Just having a booklet to point out feaures in linux would go along way of keeping them using linux. Posted by SaidinUnleashed on Sep. 28 2005,02:24
Try this.
should get your soundblaster crankin out the tunes. There is a sound config tool (sndcardconfog) in DSL. It is very, very powerful, but if you do not know what your are doing it is possible to do more damage than not. It used to be in the DSL Panel, but this caused more problems than it resolved. It's much simpler to do a google and find what module you need to probe, if your card is not autodetected. 90% of cards are autodetected. Maybe the programmers can take a challenge to come up with a better sound test and cfg tool for DSL. Let's just mark this under 'Needs work.'
All the in-house documentation is very DSL-specific. If you need documentation on applications, visit the application's site and read their documentation. If you need basic Linux instruction, there are other sites for that. Linuxquestions.org is very good for generic Linux support and learning. There are many, many more. Google.
One thing that many people mistake DSL for is an "intro distro", and while it can be used for that, that is not our primary goal. DSL is a full-fledged desktop OS, meant to be used, and abused, as a primary OS. Now, don't take that as "DSL doesn't care about new Linux users", because we do. We just don't defer to them. There is enough Linux documentation out there to get most people started in *nix, and the < DDP > has come a long way from just a short year ago, when no documentation whatsoever existed for DSL. So use the tools at hand, be it Google, LinuxQuestions, or the DDP, to find the information you need. Don't sit there and cry that it doesn't exist. There are no problems that a new user can run in to that have not been had before, disected, diced, sauteé'd, fried in deep fat, and had the solution served up on the internet in tasty morsels. -J.P. Posted by flink on Oct. 03 2005,03:44
Juanito Wrote:
I think this pretty well sums up the idea and fix to many a problem with any OS being installed. No one OS is going to be perfect. As I tried to point out that even mighty Microsloth has problems with mirad of hardware out there. Whiether it's DSL or XP or 14 iso CD Debian 3.1, you're still going to run into configuration problems. It doesn't mean you simply give up because the sound config app messes things up more. It means rethinking, rewriting and testing a newer sound config device. Which is why I suggested it be revamped to put back into DSL 1.6 'Sudo modprobe sb didn't work in this case. I think largely due to the fact this HP vectra series 8 uses an Aztech snd card which is Sound Blaster Pro compatible. Much like the other gentleman which had simular problems (I already tried this. It gave errors on irq and other settings. Besides DSL reconizes that it is ATZ1008 ... just the drivers didn't initalize period. Still I find it odd that having a DSL handbook as part of the STORE section is still a good idea. It's not a question of 'caring' or 'not caring'. It's simply an idea to raise funds. I'm not certain this is because people are not taking the time to actually read the response to simply don't care to document stuff. I think that documentation should be prerequisite to including the extension in myDSL. It might be clear to you but to another it is not. Having a common reference would help. It's good enough that people think the same way. Maybe the problems with sound config program was it wasn't 'spelled out' enough for most using it. It's not really worth persuing this part unless there is a will to make DSL (and any other linux OS) more user friendly. DSL boots up right from the start for the most part. myDSL gets the apps that users were using on their MS systems fast without usual linux install problems. Proper support for problem installs and documentation will help keep people falling back into MS trap. DSL has become entry Linux by being inlcuded in magazines like PC Format and Linux format. Keeping those who try DSL to stay with it should be the aim. DSL is more than just challenge of how much can we fit an OS into 50meg live CD. It's a Damn Good Linux with all the right things put into it. It's getting people to do more than just boot it couple of times then throw it into desk drawer. i think if DSL can get people into Linux and not MS then that is a good thing. What we should look for in DSL 1.6 is patches to known problems and better means to solve driver issues. Stuff that will keep people running DSL. Not every thing but every thing we need to run linux successfully from any system. ~flink |