New on kubuntu

[Billie Erin Walsh]

Derek Broughton wrote:
> Pastor JW wrote:
>
>   
>>> Joel, I want to thank you for your effort in steering this new user in
>>> the right direction.  So many times I see the majority of
>>> experienced users of various distros blowing off new users.  We were
>>> all new users at one time or another and probably felt overwhelmed.
>>>       
>> Have to agree!  Most try to dump a new user into apt-get hell and then
>> berate the user for not understanding what he is doing. Synaptic is the
>> best first step and one can fool around with antique ways like apt when he
>> has more free
>> time and first has a little better understanding of the modern system. 
>> This is the reason Kubuntu is not in greater use but Synaptic cures this
>> gap by providing a modern rather than the luddite style cli update tool.
>>     
>  
> I beg to differ.  It's almost impossible to tell somebody how to use a GUI 
> package manager (or any other GUI tool) in a text medium like this, if you 
> have to do anything beyond the very basics.
>
> In fact, I'll argue that any GUI that isn't intuitively obvious (never mind 
> that such apps shouldn't even exist) should be saved until the user "has a 
> little better understanding of the modern system", and the older, simpler, 
> ways will _give_ you that understanding.
>
> So explaining to people how to use aptitude _should_ be clearer and simpler.  
> I'll keep doing it.
>   

I differ to beg with your beg to differ.

_IF_ you know what package you want and _IF_ you only have one to 
install and _IF_ you have a clue how to get to a CLI and use it [ not 
necessarily intuitive ] apt get is useful. Like when I did my Jaunty 
install a short while back. I already knew that adept and other KDE 
package handling systems were total trash _AND_ know that synaptic was 
still useful I used apt get to install synaptic. Installing all the rest 
of my usual software was done in synaptic. Twenty, thirty or more at a 
time. [ hammering my ISP  *<]:oD  ] I'm not so sure I could have gotten 
everything done in the time it took with synaptic to get it all 
installed and be doing other setup, like e-mail, at the same time using 
apt get.

For someone that is just doing his first install telling them how to get 
synaptic installed and the rest is easy. Steps

1) Click the big blue icon with the "K" on it
2) Go to "System"
3) Click "Synaptic Package Handler" [ Put in user password in popup ]
      A) Left pane shows categories
             a) Choose category to brows only that type software or 
"all" to view everything
      B) Top right pane shows packages
             a) Left click package to see description in lower right pane
             b) Right click package to choose install or other options
4) Click "Apply" when ready and follow prompts
5) Kick back and relax

I think anyone could figure it out from there.


-- 
Treat all stressful situations like a dog does.
If you can't eat it or play with it, 
just pee on it and walk away