A Linux for the totally maintenance free

[Bill Davidsen]

Joe Zeff wrote:
> On 10/28/2014 05:25 PM, jd1008 wrote:
>> As my time is not infinite :) I decided to install pclinuxos with kde DE
>> and bfs-PAE kernel. Yes, I will be spending some time, maybe 8 or 16 hours
>> bringing this lady up to speed on basic things. I will certainly automate
>> the updates, so she will not have to interact with the process at all.
>
> I don't know how PCLinuxOS handles updates, but generally speaking you either
> need to supply the root password (or, if you're in the wheel group your
> password) to authorize installing the updates.  Is this going to be an issue, or
> is it something she's willing to put up with?
>
> In any event, please keep us informed.  I doubt that I'm the only one here other
> than you who gets asked about installing/using Linux by people who want to get
> away from Windows but want something that Just Works.  Up until now, I've been
> pointing them at Ubuntu, but if PCLinuxOS is even easier, that gives me another
> option.

Certainly Fedora or CentOS can update "by magic" if needed. Nut the user needs 
to avoid powering down while that happens. You can start:
   yum --downloadonly upgrade
and get the RPMs staged in /var/cache/yum, then offer to complete as part of the 
shutdown:
   yum -y upgrade && yum clean all

Just a thought, I run the upgrade by hand, but the download once a day, or on 
boot, depending on the machine being up. Since the upgrade can end in a power 
off, the user need not wait until the process completes.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot