Greetings all. Could I suggest a forum titled “Anomalies”? Firstly, perhaps I should introduce myself to explain where I'm coming from. I am a non-technical user of kubuntu since about a year ago, (previously used SuSE for about 6 years), and find it extremely difficult. My background includes some competence in mechanical and electronic engineering, and I have been a technical author. This should be easy, but it is not. From my first awareness of Linux, I have been an enthusiastic fan, but have always wanted it as something to use, not as something to “have fun with”. That means I have always limited myself to the graphic interface, because that seems the obvious interface between the computer and the user. When I drive a car, although I happen to know quite a lot about what happens between the air intake and the driven wheels, I interact with it through the controls. Similarly with the computer, I expect a direct access to the applications that motivate me to having a computer. Ubuntu, then Kubuntu, seemed to promise this. As such a user, I am not particularly frightened by the terminal facility as a way of doing something unusual, but only if I am offered a keystroke by keystroke recipe. Something like “just open the tarball”, or “type in something like ........” doesn't help at all. I think I speak for a large number of users (and a huge number of potential users) when I look for an O.S. that allows me to use a computer, rather than design, develop, or fix one, or indeed, to play with one.
Back to the subject of 'anomalies'. There is often something that clearly isn't right, and seems dangerous or at least an annoying inconvenience, but for which this simple consumer has no answer. There is no explanation available for the cryptic messages, and the user forums seem to be the domain of more or less competent linux experts who think exclusively in command line terms. Right now, for example, every time I try to add a program or respond to the 'upgrade available' alert, I get the “Another process is using the packaging system database ... Would you like to attempt to resolve ....” dialog box, in which none of the options solves anything, or is at all re-assuring. This is followed by “There was an error commiting changes. Possibly ..... would break packages.” Great! Do I worry or not? Am I corrupting the system and risking meltdown every time I try to upgrade?
I don't think this is the place for a list of such troubling junctures, but I hope it illustrates the need for a place for a user, (this simple consumer-type user), to register this sort of problem, and hope for help.
I have to repeat, I don't think there is a more dedicated, committed Linux user. But mostly, I must report that it feels that no one in the community cares a fig about users like me, when it is users like me that represent the way towards a radical expansion of the uptake of your beautiful idea.
P.S. Instead of “Anomalies”, perhaps “Is this serious?” or “Should I Panic?” would give a better indication of the intent of the forum I'm proposing. Thank you.
Back to the subject of 'anomalies'. There is often something that clearly isn't right, and seems dangerous or at least an annoying inconvenience, but for which this simple consumer has no answer. There is no explanation available for the cryptic messages, and the user forums seem to be the domain of more or less competent linux experts who think exclusively in command line terms. Right now, for example, every time I try to add a program or respond to the 'upgrade available' alert, I get the “Another process is using the packaging system database ... Would you like to attempt to resolve ....” dialog box, in which none of the options solves anything, or is at all re-assuring. This is followed by “There was an error commiting changes. Possibly ..... would break packages.” Great! Do I worry or not? Am I corrupting the system and risking meltdown every time I try to upgrade?
I don't think this is the place for a list of such troubling junctures, but I hope it illustrates the need for a place for a user, (this simple consumer-type user), to register this sort of problem, and hope for help.
I have to repeat, I don't think there is a more dedicated, committed Linux user. But mostly, I must report that it feels that no one in the community cares a fig about users like me, when it is users like me that represent the way towards a radical expansion of the uptake of your beautiful idea.
P.S. Instead of “Anomalies”, perhaps “Is this serious?” or “Should I Panic?” would give a better indication of the intent of the forum I'm proposing. Thank you.
Comment