Ah, yes, I knew that! However, I don't play games on my computer other than an occasional Solitaire or Shisen-Sho and even then almost always only while I'm waiting for something like a kernel to compile or virtual machine to install. So my mindset for my statement was with reference to 2D games.

Or create my own "z" branch along with tag files and then augment the DVD that way.

I agree. As I wrote previously, the stock Slackware comes with no auto-configuration or detection tools. Coincidentally, last night I ran Zenwalk 5.2 in a virtual machine. I am impressed with the changes they have made to Slackware. What the Zenwalk folks have done with the installation scripts is very nice. They have merged a graphic backdrop to create the illusion of a graphical installation. They have merged cfdisk directly into the setup scripts. They add some auto configuration tools. They add some GUI wrapper front-ends to several Slackware tools. I think parts of Zenwalk could be used to overcome some of the hurdles with a stock Slackware.

I think another major challenge is smooth data migration.

Interesting. As I wrote previously, I find the idea intriguing. I envision some customers wanting this kind of connection. There are people who use their computer for nothing but surfing the web, checking email, and looking at pictures of the grandkids on flickr. If the ISP is down they can't use their computer therefore a dumb terminal would suffice for them and they would have almost no maintenance overhead. For this thread, where all of the customers would be home users and "mom and pop" business owners, I would keep their home directory and other personal data on a local hard drive.

I don't know where this thread will lead. I need to think about things and chew the fat for a while. Perhaps contact a few people who are already supporting this kind of business and seek their opinions and observations.

ErV: I'm going to start using your term "family-friendly." The term wonderfully describes how I feel about desktop computers.

Perhaps I'll post a new page on my web site where people interested in this idea can download packages and docs for testing this "family-friendly" augmentation of Slackware.

Let's try the 80/20 principal here. Probably 80% of the people who ask for a new operating system will present no significant problems, either with hardware or software selections. Of the remaining 20%, 80% will present some configuration challenges, hardware and software, but more than likely solvable with some grunt work and midnight oil. VirtualBox, WINE, dual booting, special scripts, whatever. The remaining 4% probably are best told to keep using Windows for their special insurmountable needs. If they have some change in the pocket to throw at the problem they can buy new hardware to run Slackware as a primary desktop. They'll receive most of what they need on that box but will continue running Windows on their old box. A little Samba work keeps the two boxes linked, much like what I do here.