Server systems aside.

Just wondered, how would you actually do sell Linux to Aunt Tilly and co.

I think it wouldn't really work, because anybody interested in Linux probably would be good in enough in computers to actually install a distro themselves.

Maybe it would work the Windows way. Just sit somebody that has no clue whatsoever about computers, give them a Linux system and say, that's the way it is deal with it.

If Joe Bloggs then goes out and buys a new Hauppauge PVR blabla and it ain't supported, whadya gonna say to them?

So what you gonna do to get Joe and Emma to use Linux.. and actually get some money to pay the bill.

I am just asking cause I have this guy downstairs and a friend who make their living out of selling a wee selected group Windows compis.

The same business based on Linux would be doomed wouldn't it?

I am kinda looking for answers to prove me wrong.

Not necessarily - Mandrake is very straightforward, it looks good, the install is at least as easy as XP. As long as you explain the differences (good as well as bad) and try not to foam at the mouth while doing so () I can't see why you couldn't compete.

Well, theoretically you could go about it this way:

Sell Mandrake pre-installed
Make sure all the development libraries are installed
Write scripts to automatically determine the type of program downloaded and install the software
Make sure all typically used software is installed (games/office/etc)
That should do the trick - show them how to boot up/log in
If they're buying computer's with OS'es preinstalled, they probably don't do much with hardware, so they shoudln't be installing drivers anyway

or: sell them compies with Linspire installed

i'd put arch linux on all of them. it's the easiest distro to maintain i've ever seen, and everything seems to work out of the box. when they want new software, all they have to do is open a terminal and type pacman -S <package>. to upgrade the whole system, it's just pacman -Syu. on the arch site is a searchable database of all the available packages, so they can browse for what they want. the number isn't totally huge like the number of debian packages, so they won't be too overwhelmed, but it has everything the average person would need.

most "aunt tillys" aren't able to install windows, either, let alone partition hard drives and format and everything. so i don't see much of a problem with linux if the OS is preinstalled. just explain the concepts of root and user to them so they can install programs, and they should be good to go.

Hello thanks

I installed Mandrake 3 years ago or so, I agree. Arch Linux - looks like a test is coming up.

Root and User - hmm, I think that's the same with MS and Unix. Delete the registry and you are a goner. Maybe a part of MS's success, you could fuck up a lot and many people could get employed to fix it.

Given all the crap you had to do in the early DOS and Windows versions, Linux today is a pure delight. Just remember the autoexec.bat config.sys mayhem you had to do to get a game running. Dos wasn't THAT easy it was just preinstalled. That's what Bill was always good at, force the hardware people to install his thing. Just look at the various Toshiba threads here on LQ.

Yeah it's probably just a matter of just doing it.

I am convinced the computational inept are the best target audience for Desktop Linux.

Recently did some work for a charity with all kind of Windows crap installed. These kinda half - knowledgable and in some Windows areas more knowledgable (What the hell do I care about some weird MS mailing system, which is totally crap) people are a nightmare to sell to. He wanted some idiotic crap with his MS mailer bla for 3 people. I told him to use yahoo. Decent free backup, worldwide availabilty free virus and spam checker. Some kid made him a Dreamweaver website, where one page had a picture to big effing everything up. But he wanted the huge mega Windows install ..
No thanks.

You just can't wait for the immortal line: "But Windows does that".

Ok target market, the unknowing and open.

Unique selling point: More secure for your kids? The evil pedos won't get you? Free porn deletion, no registry cleaner needed.

I think you have to target quite low here in emotions. Logic doesn't sell with many. With those it does, they probably have read enough and done enough to have something decent installed already themselves.

Some brain storming ... You might agree or not, happy to hear comments

Generally I agree though that Linux is ready for the average Christmas card/Office attachment/Word processing folks who don't care how/what or when and who go to PCWorld system checks for £19.99.

Well, preinstalled OS is the way to go. I think it's fair to say that most first-time computer users have no idea (or only a very hazy idea) what an OS is.

If you show them fancy icons on the desktop with links to OpenOffice apps and a few games, they'll accept it.

By the way, make sure that KDE is the default desktop environment. I know that a lot of "purists" hate KDE because of its windows-look-and-feel and it may be bloated and all that,

But believe me: KDE is the best for first time users. Also even for experienced users, KDE helps productivity by being easy to use and allowing one to concentrate on the job at hand.

Never, never show them 'vim'. I am quite experienced in Linux but I still haven't figured out how to use or even exit this monster of a text editor. Ya ya, it says press 'q' to quit or something, but whenever I hit those buttons, I get the message 'recording' at the bottom of the screen and don't know how to save or load documents. 'vim' is beyond me.

Kate gets a thumbs up from me!

[esc]:q = quit

[esc]:wq = write click

[esc]:q! = force quit

[esc]:wq! = force write click

[esc]:w = write

[esc]:r textfile = read textfile

cw = change word

r = replace character

i = start input

[esc] = stop input

o insert a new line after the one you are on and start writing

a start writing after the position you are on

[esc]:%s:searchstring:replace string:g global search replace can be optional also only a couple of lines and use reg ex \(bla\) = $1

Thats all u need and its totally useful

It can do more but that's about enough to get along quite nicely

I once run in a disaster recover over ed. LOL thats where the fun starts really

And remember you can load multiple files :n = next : p= previous

:wn write and go to the next file

. repeats comand

dd = deletes line 50dd deletes 50 lines

p = pastes it.

u = undo

1G first line

G goes to end of file

$ end of line ^ beginning of line

I agree it's totally awkward at the beginning, but if you can do it it's like magic in a box.

Yes thanks for that vim info . But I still would think twice before showing it to a total newbie to computers.

Of cource There is always joe which I wouldn't show anyone , who didnt do word star I think it was

vim is for masochists!!!!

I've sold a couple of desktops I've built with Linux pre-installed,
and they don't mind. Like Harishankar said, for most people,
you need a gui environment where they can point-and-click the
way Windoze has taught them. If they have to read or think, it's
all over. NB: I said most people, not all people. If you get the
system setup and all they have to do is click an icon, then it's okay.

And they really like the fact that they're not getting worms, virii,
or trojans - and don't even have to buy the software.

Of course I would never show vi to a Newbie, I just thought for an actual already Linux user (like Harishankar) it might be useful to know it is actually quite simple. And in remote server admin it's the best tool.

The first time I sat in front of Windows Word Perfects empty screen and a keyboard template, it wasn't that cool either .. then came word and all my figures got fucked up. Then there was latex and it worked.

I wouldn't show a newbie, nothing on sysadmin. Mozilla, MZ Email, OOffice suite that's it. Maybe GAIM or so .. Any problem phone Support like with MS ..

Of course, I suppose my father (a non-techie) himself would love something like vi or vim.

He still lives in the glory days of Wordstar with its dot commands and forces himself to use MS Word, though he hates its (in his opinion) so-called 'advanced' features.

I can absolutely understand the sentiment about vim. I was using joe for years as I used wordstar with all it's control commands. I HATED VI. But then I get employed in an ISP and then I kinda learned it. Never looked back since .

You see, those of us who grew up and got to use comps in the pre-Win 95 are pretty much adaptable to any kind of environment. It's Win95 that spoilt the whole thing by making the computer more of a toy than a machine that you use to get work done.

Why, even MS-DOS, with its archaic 16-bit architecture was more non-intrusive and productive than that monstrosity called Windows 95.