Gnome is a problem for OEMs

[Cybe R. Wizard]

On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 16:56:12 +0100
Daniel Carrera <daniel.carrera at zmsl.com> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I've spent all afternoon trying to figure out how I, as an OEM, can 
> configure Gnome before giving it to a user. I just want to change
> some icons on the panel and maybe a menu entry.
> 
> After exhaustive search, I can only conclude that there is no way to
> do this. You are stuck with what the Gnome developers think everyone
> in the world needs. You can't even add a new icon to the default
> panel. Every user must learn how to locate software on their own and
> add icons on their own, and if they don't like it, they can go use
> Windows.
> 
> At this rate, I have serious doubts about Linux or Ubuntu being
> "ready for the desktop". I work for a very pro-FOSS OEM. We
> contribute heavily to open source projects. We are *trying* our darn
> best to give Ubuntu desktops to our customers. But Ubuntu/Gnome just
> don't give us any way to offer even the tiniest bit of configuration.
> So we'll have to keep selling Windows computers instead.
> 
> The problem is not that Microsoft has a deal with us to block Linux, 
> they don't. It's not that we don't know Linux, I've been using 
> exclusively for 8 years. The first computer I owned ran Slackware
> Linux. The problem is that Gnome just doesn't give us any way to make
> any adaptations, no matter how small. The problem is that the damm
> thing just wasn't designed with an OEM in mind.
> 
> Daniel.

You might try aboot-cross.  Here's what Synaptic says about it:

utility to create bootable ISO-Images for Linux/Alpha
If you want to create bootable CD-ROMs or floppies for the Linux/Alpha
platform, you need this utility. It is not needed for normal system
installation or operation.

Maybe you can create the system look you want and then turn it into an
installation CD.  Can one then label it with one's own choice of names?

Cybe R. Wizard
-- 
When Windows are opened the bugs come in.
	Winduhs