[xubuntu-users] Ubuntu Mini ISO installation process with Screenshots

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Sun, 2013-07-14 at 16:57 +0400, Ali Linx (amjjawad) wrote:
>  HOWTO:
> http://amjjawad.blogspot.com/2013/07/ubuntu-mini-iso-installation-process.html

How to use ncurses, tab keys etc. is something newbies might not know,
even while it's explained in a short form, "<Tab> moves". Making backups
and partitioning is hard for clueless computer users.
They even might worry when they read "hostname". What is a hostame? What
happens if I use a wrong hostname? Etc. pp..

But sorry, the installer ask to give a hostname and you explain that the
user should type a hostname, exactly the same what the installer
says ;).

I'm a MBR user myself, but MBR usage more or less is obsolet, however,
people perhaps need to know that they can use a live CD to run commands
to backup e.g. an MBR.

I perhaps would add

# dd if=/dev/sda of=MBR_sda-$(date "+%Y%m%d_%H%M%S").bak bs=512 count=1

+ an explanation and how to restore it.

Explaining partitioning to a noob is nearly impossible, resp. much work.

> @Everyone else on this list:
> I'm deeply sorry, apparently, I'm wasting your time with my useless
> crap!
> So, be sure that will never happen again :)

C'mon! We try to contribute too your howto.

For example, the installer's words are:

"If you need to use HTTP proxy to access the outside world, enter the
proxy information here. Otherwise, leave this blank."

Your words:

""Continue" unless you do have the HTTP Proxy Information:"

I understand both, a noob might have no idea what to do and IMO "leave
this blank" is the better information.

Btw. not all users are blind, so jpegs are a help for many users ;), but
since the installer is using ncurses, it's possible to use ASCII text
instead of jpegs and you would reach both, the blind and seeing users.

2 Cents,
Ralf