Re: Desktop NetBSD needs your help

[Eric Haszlakiewicz <erh%nimenees.com@localhost>]

Anne Bennett wrote:
> der Mouse wrote:
> > I don't think NetBSD is appropriate for novice user desktop use, and I
> > see that as about as much of a problem as it is that my hacksaw isn't
> > appropriate for driving screws.
>
> IMHO that analogy is misleading.  Unlike your hacksaw, a computer is a
> general-purpose device, and people can run a wide variety of programs
> on it.
>
> Most of the programs needed to create a "nice" (for a suitable definition
> thereof!) desktop experience are probably already in pkgsrc.  It doesn't
> harm the expert users, nor the general philosophy of NetBSD, if someone
> wants to build a "nice desktop" layer on top.
>
> Similarly, the presence of a "Just Deal With It" mode in the installer
> doesn't harm those of us who like to fiddle and tweak, but would make it
> possible for people to install NetBSD who couldn't possibly be expected
> to do so now.
Another important point, that I don't think is stressed enough, is that 
the "nice"/"Just Deal With It" modes are also useful for non-novice 
users.  Just because I _can_ download tarballs and use pkg_add directly 
(or fdisk+disklabel, or whatever low level interface) doesn't mean that 
I _want_ to do so all the time.  Making things convenient, easy to do 
and pleasant to interact with benefits the expert users as well as the 
novices, and frees up more brain cycles to go think about more 
interesting things.

eric