Probably stupid question, but

[Gene Heskett]

On Tuesday 27 August 2013 20:32:44 Liam Proven did opine:

> On 27 August 2013 21:05, Gene Heskett <gheskett at wdtv.com> wrote:
> > Provided they did the sudo when they ran it.
> 
> *Sigh*
> 
> No.
> 
> If I meant that, I'd have said that. Do you seriously think that
> Canonical would make users run a graphical tool, part of the system's
> main UI, from the terminal with `sudo`? Don't be ridiculous. Of
> *COURSE* not.
> 

Then why doesn't it ask for the users passwd so it has root rights if the 
user asks it to install something?

I long since learned that to run it from the menu is useless because then 
it runs as the user and has no rights.  Fix that, and I heartily agree that 
it should be run from the menu pulldowns.  Until then, its open a terminal, 
"sudo synaptic", enter passwd, and have root rights to do what you want.  

Without that, its just eye candy.  That should have been fixed already at 
8.04, 5 + years ago.

> Do you think this stuff through before you write it? Do you take the
> time to think "hey, that sounds useful" and go check it, or even to
> just try it?

Many many times.  And yes, 90% of it is very useful.
 
> > Gram flour, can't say as I've heard of that.
> 
> It's Indian. Ground chick peas.

Ahh.  I'll have to look around the next time I'm in the grocery store.
 
> > Probably a good link.  But I haven't folded a T-shirt in 20 years
> > unless I was going to wear it to work.
> 
> Doesn't matter. The point that you have heroically avoided seeing is
> that even if you think you know how to do something, unless you are a
> world-master and expert in it, someone else probably knows how to do
> it better than you. And now, 2 decades into 21st century, there are
> more people on the WWW than were alive in the world when you were
> born. So that person who knows better is probably online and has
> written or recorded or filmed a lesson in how to do it, and you can
> watch it online for free.

And have quite a few times.  But I don't google for stuff like folding a T-
Shirt because I know how, and my fold will, given a couple days in the 
drawer, actually do a passable job of removing the too long in the dryer 
wrinkles.

> Deciding that you know better is not only arrogant, it is also very
> foolish.
> 
> Even if it's as simple as folding clothes, or tying your shoelaces.
> 
> http://www.ted.com/talks/terry_moore_how_to_tie_your_shoes.html
> 
> 3min talk. Important. Watch it. Learn. It is not about tying shoes; it
> is about learning, being flexible, being open to new ideas.
> 
And I learned something, he is in effect not stacking 2 regular knots, but 
doing a bowline by reversing the second, top knot.  Bowlines naturally pull 
themselves tighter.

> Illustrated by a lesson about tying shoelaces.
> 
> Taught by someone who learned how to tie their shoes the /right/ way
> in their 50s.

I've been lacing and tying my shoelaces like a tv wrestler demo'd one night 
back in the 50's when we had Saturday night wrestling, live and in glorious 
black and white.

Made perfect sense at the time & still does because you can pull it up an 
oz from broke without actually making the shoe too tight, something that 
for us diabetics is very important because we can use every drop of blood 
flowing through our feet that we can get.  This method allows it.  Its 
76(F) here in the house, the AC is running, but there is an old heating pad 
running in low, under my feet as I type, keeping my feet reasonably warm.

You can recognize a diabetic that has been that way for a while, he will be 
wearing heavy woolen socks in 80(F) degree weather.

That knot change does indeed sound worthwhile.  Now the real trick is for 
me to remember it till morning. :(

Cheers, Gene
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