Re: [gentoo-dev] Seeking questions for a user survey

[likewhoa <weboperative@gmail.com>]

On Jan 15, 2008 12:16 AM, Chris Gianelloni <wolf31o2@gentoo.org> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 2008-01-14 at 22:53 +0000, likewhoa wrote:
> > Which DE/WM would you prefer for the gentoo livecd instead of the one
> > provided?
> > > Kde
> > > Xfce
> > > Fluxbox
> > > E16
> > > Fvwm
> > > Gnome
> > > Other
>
> Can I suggest that we not ask anything that we likely won't change?  I
> have a strong feeling that KDE would win out here, but there's *NO WAY*
> that we can fit KDE on a LiveCD with the other stuff.  When we were
> planning 2007.1, we had decided to switch to Xfce, simply because of the
> space savings.  Cramming a lot of useful stuff onto 700MB is *not* an
> easy task.  Space is our biggest enemy here.  Were we to drop the LiveCD
> fully in favor of the LiveDVD, then I could see this as (somewhat)
> valid, as all of those Window Managers/Desktop Environments are already
> shipped on the LiveDVD (except FVWM).  I'm not too interested in
> people's opinions for the defaults on a media set that includes them all
> and each is only a click or two away, though, as it doesn't really add
> anything to what we provide.  If it weren't for the size constraints,
> I'd love to know what people prefer on the CD, so I don't want anyone to
> think that we don't care.  We do.  We just are limited by a hard size
> limit than we cannot do anything about and have to act accordingly.

I totally agree with you on that and when I asked that question I only
wanted to see what people prefer and I don't expect users to demand a
change based on the survey question responce. I for one love to have
the livecd run on a WM vs a DE, but again I start the livecd with
'gentoo nox' most times. Maybe the livecd should run a WM and the
liveDVD can run the rest this would free up the livecd and give it
more room for other packages that are missing on the livecd, these
packages could be stuff like wifi tools,system rescue tools, benchmark
etc.

>
>
>
> > Do they use grp packages?
> > > Yes
> > > No
> > > What is grp?
> > > Sometimes
> > > Never
>
> Definitely word this in a manner so people know what you're referring
> to.  I would say something more along the lines of "Do you use the
> Installer in Networkless mode or GRP packages when installing your
> system?"

Good way to put it, I was gonna add "GRP - Gentoo Release Packages" myself.

>
>
>
> > Which livecd(s) do they prefer?
> > > Gentoo livecd-2007.0
> > > Sabayon livecd
> > > Sysresccd
> > > Knoppix
> > > My own
> > > Other
>
> Be sure to list the Minimal CD and the Universal CD, as well as the
> LiveCD, and also list the LiveDVD.  We'll have to relate this data to
> the architecture used when we try to make anything useful out of it, but
> it'll be more accurate, as I definitely want to know *which* Gentoo
> media people are using.  I would also add something like "an older
> Gentoo CD" to the mix.
>
>
>
> > Do you think commercial packages should be part of the main tree?
> > > Yes
> > > No
> > > Why not
> > > Never!
> > > in unofficial overlay
> > > Dunno
>
> Is this something that we really even want to ask?  I mean, if we're all
> about trying to provide the best user experience, then binary packages
> are almost a requirement, especially with binary packages that were
> originally targeted at specific binary distributions.  I tend to see
> this as one of those "religious" issues that is best left alone, like
> emacs versus vi.

Yea commercial packages should maybe be part of overlays.gentoo.org so
that the tree can stay clean from these types of packages. But I agree
if it's decided not to included in the user survey.

>
>
>
> > How often should GWN be updated?
> > > once a week
> > > everyday
> > > every month
> > > every six months
> > > what is GWN?
>
> Again, you're asking something that I don't think that we should be
> asking.  We couldn't get content even though we begged and pleaded for
> it.  No offense meant to anyone, but I don't care if people want a daily
> newsletter.  If we cannot get enough content, we cannot get enough
> content.  No survey is going to change that, and asking a question like
> this gives the impression that the user's opinion will make a
> difference, when it likely will not.  I'd much rather not ask questions
> that the users are going to feel like they were "ignored" than ask them
> and not make any changes based on the answers.  Of course, if you're
> volunteering to pick up the slack and write any necessary articles to
> make it happen at the interval decided by our users, well, I completely
> welcome it, then... ;]
>
>
> > Do you like the Gentoo Linux Installer (GLI)?
> > > Yes
> > > No
> > > Never heard of it
>
> I'd like to see the answers to this one, but I have a feeling that
> everybody has a love/hate relationship with this.  They either love it,
> or they hate it.  I also tend to think that *many* people have an
> opinion on the Installer without ever even using it.  As such, I don't
> think that we'd get any usable results out of this, but it'll still be
> fun to ask.

I for one never used it so I can't really love or hate it but from
what people who have used it tells me to stay away from it because
I'll eventually hate it.
>
>
>
> --
> Chris Gianelloni
> Release Engineering Strategic Lead
> Games Developer
>

Thanks for the great feedback Chris Gianelloni
Fernando
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