Idea: easier transition for newcomers from other DEs/OSes

[David Nielsen]

fre, 24 08 2007 kl. 19:15 +0200, skrev Martin Sourada:
> Hi,
> 
> It's all about picking default settings new users wish. Imagine a user
> who is coming from Windows to Fedora, but he has no clue how linux
> works. It would greatly help him if the linux behaved to some extent
> similar to Windows - meaning applications look (themes), window's
> buttons layout (in this case same), menu layout, keyboard shortcuts etc.
> The same for users coming from Mac OS and for users used to Gnome and
> switching to KDE and opposite way. The idea is that user selects what he
> wants his desktop resemble, and then the usage of the desktop would be
> more intuitive to him.
> 
> What would we need for that?
>      1. Check out, how much we can set up GNOME/KDE to look and behave
>         like other DEs/OSes
>      2. If some of the stuff which makes this easier is available, but
>         not in fedora, get it into repository
>      3. Write a utility that can change the DE's settings to what we
>         have found in 1.
>      4. Integrate the utility into anaconda or first boot.
> 
> The utility should be pretty straightforward - you will have a bunch of
> radio buttons captioned Windows 9x, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X
> (dunno version differences though, might need more radio buttons for
> that one), GNOME, KDE (for how it should look like) and a two check
> boxes with simple description of GNOME and KDE (in the description
> should be noted primarily differences between those to, to ease
> selection to one who has no idea what GNOME/KDE is; for what will be
> used as 'backend').
> 
> Just a though... Your opinions? Is it even desirable? Does it make
> sense?

Chasing after a look and feel of a platform the user is already trying
to escape, repeating the same visual mistakes as seen in those platform
for familiarity' sake? Doesn't sound appealing to me, Fedora is it's own
platform and we should work to make it the best one we are able to do by
innovation not by emulation.

If we don't do that Fedora will be nothing but a free version of
Windows, it will look and feel the same but it will fundamentally not
improve anything.

Now I am all for looking at technologies like the migration tool Ubuntu
has developed to ensure that all the users data and account settings are
transferred safely so that mail will work and that picture of the family
dog will still be on the background.. but please don't turn Fedora into
a cheap knock-off, despite rumours to the contrary, people can believe
it's not butter.

- David Nielsen
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