[proposal] Newbie-FAQ or Everything You Always Wanted To Ask About Ubuntu But Were Afraid To Ask

[Norman Silverstone]

> 
> I like the initiative for a newbie guide, and really suggest a step by 
> step and „take the child by the hand“ approach. I can recommend doing a 
> „virtual installation“ perhaps creating a virtual newbie (called Bill G. 
> ;) to ensure a use-centric and problem solving approach. It is very 
> motivating, if the guide deals with the actual thing, in this case 
> installing and using ubuntu. This method worked very well in workshops 
> about the formation of companies or societies.

snip
 
> But a newbies and windows/mac migrants are certainly better off with an 
> visual solution, synaptic. They are used to „a click and see“ gui and 
> from my experience most see the commandline as old fashioned, outdated 
> and overwhelmingly complex. It is simply not the way they are used to work.

I am in total agreement with you, as I am a windows migrant.

> For me, repositories are the place where I get (almost all) programmes. 
> we should provide at least a sample sources.list file, perhaps several 
> (like Universe enabled or not, lists for the mirrors to speed things up 
> (and help canonical's bills), multimedia and other repos).

This also seems to be a good idea.
> 
> I really like the initiative and am willing to help. I my opinion Ubuntu 
> in its present state is NOT newbie ready, compared to Mandrake for 
> example. But an easy to understand, step by step guide would be a way to 
> get around that bend.

Also, some small introduction to the way Linux works could be of
interest.

Norman