Re: [gentoo-dev] desktop

[Chris Gianelloni <wolf31o2@gentoo.org>]

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On Thu, 2003-08-28 at 08:52, dams@idm.fr wrote:
> I think a perfect corporate desktop would :
> 
> - be cheap
> - be installable by not so good technical guys quickly
> - be useable at soon as it is installed
> 
> Now if the guy has to configure each workstation, it's not very convenient...

Actually, the corporate world works quite a bit differently.

- Decide on standard hardware/software platform
- Install software onto chosen hardware platform, including setting up
all standard software
- create Ghost image of "standard" platform
- multicast images to all other machines

Even in the most complex situations, the configuration is only done
once.

It is impossible to create a good "corporate desktop" because quite
simply, no two places will ever have the same needs.  Creating a simple,
easy-to-use default setup is the closest you can come to this goal. 
There will always be custom software to install that is specific to that
one company/office/department that is different from everyone else.  Why
add a bunch of cruft that isn't needed and only needs to be removed
later?

I honestly think the "desktop" is a bad idea as a goal.  It is paramount
to going to the school bully's house, calling him out, then slapping
him.  We should really be focusing on making everything in our
distribution more consistent and accessible.  The end-product desktop is
always something different from the original and is always tailored to
the specific user.  Making things easier to locate and having a
consistent interface is the best way of competing in the desktop arena. 
Also, documentation is definitely most important.  My hat's off to the
documentation team and to everyone whom has submitted documentation. 
The reason Gentoo is as popular as it is today is 100% because of the
amazing amount of resources we have available for a user to find the
answers to any questions that he may have.

My conclusion is this:  Make the system more consistent and convenient,
and the desktop will follow.

-- 
Chris Gianelloni
Developer, Gentoo Linux
Games Team

Is your power animal a penguin?

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