Looking at Package Management for Karmic or Karmic+1

[Erich Jansen]

Matthew Paul Thomas wrote:
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> Erich Jansen wrote on 06/04/09 08:29:
>   
>> ...
>> Also, isn't this an option that could be added to Ubiquity? Like when 
>> you are filling in your user information we could have a checkbox that 
>> enables automatic installation of all security updates? Have it checked 
>> by default but it at least allows the user a choice.
>>     
>
> There are two problems with adding any setting to the installer. First,
> it makes the installation process require more reading and more clicks.
> (For example, the "Who are you?" step you refer to is already crammed
> full and doesn't fit on some netbook screens, so adding anything more to
> it would mean splitting it into two steps.) Second, it makes people less
> likely to understand later that the setting can be changed without
> reinstalling.
>
> So in general, the installer should ask only things that are difficult
> to change later (or where a wrong assumption would have effects that are
> difficult to undo later).
>
> - --
> Matthew Paul Thomas
> http://mpt.net.nz/
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>   
My problem with the way things are currently done is that it's not 
obvious to someone like my parents, who run Ubuntu, that this feature 
exists. After switching my parents to Ubuntu the only real complaint I 
heard from them is that the first time they booted into Ubuntu there 
wasn't a "tour" window that popped up for them. It seems to me that a 
feature like this would be useful in solving this issue with updates and 
allow us to tackle a couple issues at once.

1. Users wouldn't feel lost the first time they saw their desktop.
2. We could cover some basic principles of desktop security. (i.e. 
automatic updates, configuring firewall..etc)

I know the help icon is in the panel, but for most of the people who I 
have switched to Ubuntu; it's just that icon they accidentally click on 
when trying to open Evolution.

I know I kind of went a bit off-topic. I think that the solution here is 
just making sure that users are well informed from the start and I think 
this idea provides a reasonable way to do that.

-- 
Erich Matthew Jansen
erich at stoptouchingmethere.com