On Fri, Mar 26, 2010 at 07:22:58AM -0500, Robert C Wittig wrote:
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> sharonbluebird wrote:
>
> Remain calm.
>
> So far, I do not think anyone has actually addressed whether or not your
> operating system actually has a repository (like yum or apt-get) or
> not... if it *does* have a repository, then there is a high probability
> that you have the ability to install/upgrade your software... including
> browsers.
Well.....I don't know if Acer is still providing updates for that
version of Linpus. Back when I had it, we were usually using Fedora 8
repos (and I *think* that the Asus repo pointed to that, but my memory
is hazy.)
If that's the case, then no, there won't be updates as F8 has reached
EOL. (End of life).
>
> My point in posting this, is not to impress you with my progress (well,
> maybe a little bit :)), but more important, to inspire you.
Shucks, I'm impressed. (And he paints, too.)
However, I'm going to, (most respectfully)
Robert on one point here.
I feel that Linux has matured to the point where teaching someone to
fish is no longer the only thing. Nowadays, and I think Ubuntu probably
deserves the credit for this, (Fedora doesn't--it just drives folks
away), there is now room for the user.
For example, as the old joke goes.. Take my wife. (For you younger
folks, it's a very old line. "Take my wife....please"
netbook, and although yes, it was installed and setup by me, and I have
Linux in my job title, aside from Japanese input, it's probably
something she could have done herself. She's completely non-technical.
She wants a machine to do her work.
Two of the users (that I know of) at work, have Ubuntu on their
machines at home. When one of them needed VPN access, they were asked
if they had a Windows or Mac machine at home. They called me and asked
if there was a Linux client. (It's a Cisco VPN, so there is vpnc, and I
even have a page on setting it up, though in this case, I was just able
to provide the user with an already working config file for vpnc.) It's
not a case where I would have answered, aptitude -y install vpnc and
then read the man page.
I think this sort of user, that is, the non-technical, who doesn't
really want to know how it works, but just wants to use it, is becoming
more common, and despite Linux's efforts to shoot itself in the foot
from time to time--Hey, netbooks are a great market, so let's release a
kernel that's stopped working with one of the netbook's most common
wireless cards--and that such a user now has a place on lists like this.
I note that on forums, such users are becoming more common. Not so much
on say, an ArchLinux forum, but on the desktop distibution type fora,
such as Ubuntu and Fedora.
To sum it, it means that even if one doesn't really want to learn how to
fish, they just want results, such a user now has a place on lists like
this.
--
Scott Robbins
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Xander: And they say that young people don't learn
anything in high school nowadays, but I've learned to be afraid.
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