Ubuntu and screen savers.... :-/

[Duncan Anderson]

Vincent Trouilliez wrote:

>Well, not a problem, we will just put all the screen savers in Synpatic
>and they will be a click away, for people who really want them. Best of
>both worlds then, perfect.
>
>  
>
Vince, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Some of us do not have 
broadband internet connections available at a reasonable price. Some of 
us do not even have a broadband infrastructure yet! Some of us have to 
rely on slow analogue dialup connections. It is not realistic for us to 
download any package we like at the click of a finger. For such as us, 
the availability of many options and choices on the base distribution is 
a desirable thing.

>>Now  just to get past the learning curve ;-)
>>    
>>
>
>Well, don't be in a hurry. I have been tinkering with Linux for only 9
>months, and the feeling I get, is that it is so complex, that you could
>probably spend all you life learning aobut it, and still not know half
>of it ! 
>  
>
I think you may be right. I have been doing UNIX support for 20 years, 
and Linux for 8 or ten, and I still learn something new about it every day.
The beautiful thing about Linux/UNIX (and especially Linux), is that 
although it is large and complex, it works, and its intricacies are 
well-documented and accessible, unlike certain proprietary systems where 
the inner details are unavailable. I would rather spend my entire life 
getting to know half of Linux than spending the same time being denied 
such an opportunity.

>So, I try to limit my investigations to the subjects I am really
>interested in, in practice, rather than try and learn a bit of
>everything and end knowing nothing at all really, and nothing useful for
>day to day practice anyway.
>  
>
This is the only way to learn the OS. Skim through the bulk of it, and 
home in on the relevant bits. I remember reading an article by Ken 
Thompson or Dennis Ritchie or someone like that which suggested this as 
the best way of learning UNIX. Skim through the manuals at regular 
intervals, and every time something catches your interest, stop and read 
it. It won't be too long before you have a general perspective of what's 
available, and specific knowledge of those things which have been 
relevant to your situation.

(sickly grin) It's time I shut up for a bit.

cheers
Duncan