Notice on Alternate ISO needed on main download page

Francisco Padilla García mibuzon at airpost.net
Mon Oct 23 17:17:29 BST 2006


I just downloaded Ubuntu Linux 6.06 LTS by going to the official
download page in ubuntu.com. I burned the ISO and then tried to install
Ubuntu on a computer with 256 RAM and AMD Sempron processor at 1.6 Ghz
but since I had to run the LIVE CD that computer couldn't handle booting
and would halt, so after some minutes I decided to install Microsoft
Windows XP (my sister needed to finish her a homework assignment that
day.)

Later I learned that there is an ALTERNATE ISO for computers that aren't
fast enough to handle a graphical install. So now I have to download
another ISO file which means I have to spend more electricity,
bandwidth, time, another blank CD, and most importantly I have to
reconfigure my sister PC from scratch and back her files up if I want to
install Ubuntu with the alternate ISO.

All the suggestions and comments I will ever make in this mailing list
will aim at the improvement of UBUNTU LINUX and expansion of the UBUNTU
COMMUNITY, especially the new users. Therefore, it would avoid lots of
frustration, time and effort if a simple notice was added to the
official download, just before the mirrors list. This notice can already
be seen once you click on a mirror link but the new user (like me) is to
eager to get things working that won't read in depth the first time he
or she goes to the download page, thus downloading the first ISO he saw
on the page.

That's why this notice (that already exists in the mirrors) should be
added below this paragraph in this fashion:

--Begin of example layout--

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following download sites are available; please choose the one
closest to you. A site in the same country is usually best, if one is
available. For space requirements and other information, please see the
Release Notes. If you have less than about 192MB of RAM, then choose the
Alternate install CD for a text based installation

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS is codenamed Dapper Drake. See this FAQ entry for more
information.

(List of mirrors here)

Alternate install CD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The alternate install CD allows you to perform certain specialist
installations of Ubuntu. It provides for the following situations:

    * creating pre-configured OEM systems;
    * setting up automated deployments;
    * upgrading from older installations without network access;
    * LVM and/or RAID partitioning;
    * installing GRUB to a location other than the Master Boot Record;
    * installs on systems with less than about 192MB of RAM.

--End of example layout--

It doesn't have to be in the layout I suggested, the important thing is
that it is clearly stated in the main download page that there is an
alternate ISO so the inexperienced user can get the right ISO and
doesn't have to download other.

"One little thing can solve an enormous complex problem." And this is
one of those. Let's think of the new users. When I write help pages or
tutorial I always aim them as if they were written for my grandmother
that doesn't even know how to turn on a PC. That's humanity to others,
especially those who haven't got the chance to be acquainted with
computers.

Thank you for your attention.
-- 
  Francisco Padilla García
  mibuzon at airpost.net

-- 
http://www.fastmail.fm - A fast, anti-spam email service.




More information about the sounder mailing list