[ubuntu-uk] Loading Fiesty into Mac mini

[TheVeech]

On Sat, 2007-04-28 at 16:37 +0100, Robin Menneer wrote:
> Thank you severally for your long mails.  I've loaded Picasa easily
> using the file name you gave me, and now think that f-spot may be
> better, but I do need the straighten facility, hence going for Fiesty
> (apart from its other improvements unknown to me). 
> I'm happy with the suggestion that you use me as a guinea-pig for
> installing Fiesty, providing you keep things simple and have plenty of
> patience.  Bear in mind, please, that I don't need music and motion
> pictures, but do want OOo Writer and Draw in a version that doesn't
> mess me about.  I do require things that are as reliable as software
> ever is (discounting Windows of course). 
> I'm happy to give feedback on how well a package installs and performs
> for an oldie, including interface ergonomics,  but cannot cope with
> coding any longer.
> As regards timing, I can fit in most mornings after 10am or afternoons
> but am less alive after 4pm, and have a hands-free phone which makes
> things easier.  Probably this coming Friday, Saturday or Sunday would
> suit assuming the hardware is delivered.  Otherwise next week.
> Installation isn't desperately urgent, I just want it right and good,
> please. 
> Yrs    Robin
> 

LOL.  Robin, you've got to try to give applications a bit more time to
become comfortable and familiar with them before you discount them!
That said, usability-wise, F-Spot is pretty good, as is gThumb, and they
also have 'good' licenses.

I tried to avoid the term 'guinea pig', though everyone (understandably)
tends to duck for cover at the mention of more work, especially in
weather like this!  What we'll - me and you, that is - do is get you a
functioning system.  Once we iron out any machine-specific issues,
you'll then be free to chase the rest up at your leisure in any forum or
list you choose at the pace you want.

Feisty it is, then, and for the initial install of the OS, at least, it
looks like you're stuck with me, so don't worry about complexities and
patience - I'm accustomed to working with people who aren't technical
wizards, so we should be okay.  It would help hugely if you could have
someone with you at the time for another pair of ears and eyeballs -
just hassle a relative or friend (they don't need to be technical,
either).  Again, though, don't worry if you can't do this.

When you get a fixed date for delivery let me know and I'll email you.
I'll need to give you a landline number to contact me on (you don't want
to be paying mobile phone rates for sure), but I won't know what that is
until the day we do it, so bear with me on that.  When the machine is
actually with you, we can fix the time we do this.

Writer and Draw come as default, so no worries there.  There's a new
version of OO.org in Feisty, but you should still know your way around.

But it's going to help you more if you tweak your approach to things.  I
think your ideas about your relationship with the technology your use
puts you at a disadvantage from the start.  This software won't 'mess
you about' in any way, shape or form.  It's up to you.  It'll be you
who's messing about if you don't put any effort into being more
self-sufficient - i.e. you need to start trying to learn more about the
technology you use to keep on top of it.  I'm not interested in the many
reasons people claim for being unable to do this - I hear these all the
time, and you'd be surprised at some of the classics people can come out
with.  Had you learned more before this, you'd be better prepared now
for this install and what comes after it, but that's the situation we're
in, so let's get it out of the way first.

If I recall correctly, at the moment you're using Edgy?  What CD burner
do you use?  Brasero's quite handy and easy to use.  If you want to use
this, type this into a terminal:

sudo apt-get install brasero

This is what I use, so it'll make my job easier since I can follow what
you're doing.  Try also to get the specifics of the machine to me as
soon as possible (today would be good!) so I can get prepared and do a
bit of research this week.

Before then, this might give you a bit of confidence:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=415070