Re: A new user to GNU/Linux WAS: Re: [Fsuk-manchester] the non-free neighbour asking for help dilemma

[Tim Dobson]

John Southern wrote:
> Wow! And I thought I helped my brother a lot. Then again he does owe me beer.

Well, when they are technically inept [and] using Windows, you have to 
take pity on them. :P

> Fully agree. You did the right thing.
>
> > Initially, I think my brother aim was simply to resize a few partitions
> > and reinstall Windows XP, however I think it probably went something
> > like this for him: http://xkcd.com/349/
>
> I live this daily.

Heh. I'm hoping to give my impression that installing a program etc. 
won't result in this for him on gnu/linux

> > He also made it clear he wanted to be able to rip DVDs which I knew
> > there was some software for (I think I chose Thoggen), and to be able to
> > burn DVDs(video&data)/CDs etc. K3B was my first choice here as his
> > complaint about Brasseo (or what ever the gnome cd burning thing) which
> > he had tested and USED on a gNewSense LiveCD was that it was too simple
> > and did not even say the file sizes of files he had added to a project.
>
> K9copy is the DVD equivalent to K3B

cheers, I do remember looking at it when I thought I had the same needs 
as my brother, quite a while back now.
I'll let him know about it.

> > Icedtea Java works for pretty much everything I use except the facebook
> > photos uploader. I know my brother uses facebook, so that is out.
>
> Not come across IcedTea Java.

aptitude install icedtea-gcjwebplugin

this will hopefully install what you need to have a java browser plugin 
which works on *practically* everything.

my copy of azereus uses iced-tea java too

For youtube you may enjoy apt-get youtube-dl

if you hunt around on google, you will also find an iplayer-dl script

> > I'll keep you updated...
>
> Thank you.
>
> In the meantime I am fighting with gNewSense. It has now been five days and I 
> am struggling.

You could always ask round here for help. The iced tea thing suggests to 
me you aren't getting all the help that you could benefit from.
you may find the gnewsense users mailing list helpful at 
http://lists.nongnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnewsense-users

> I had planned to only use it for a week and then see whether I 
> could live with it on a permanent basis. The rate I am going I will have to 
> give it a little longer as it is causing such difficulties that I find myself 
> daydreaming about sending the whole of FSF hate mail, putting a Gnu on a 
> barbecue and never saying a bad word about not getting source code again.

I am currently running Gobuntu Hardy, and am considering moving to 
gnewsense 2.0
I will recommend it to people when:
1) I have used it for at least a month
2) the release schedule is more frequent, hopefully the same as ubuntu's
3) there is a user friendly upgrade path
4) there are a few more scripts like youtube-dl and a few GUI's to go 
with them etc. alternatively GNASH works on 90% of websites I and the 
potential user use.

Until then everything I do will be on a case by case basis, and we 
should all try and make these things possible, lending a hand and 
helping with gnewsense is probably the easiest way, even if it is just 
answering 2 newbie questions on a mailing list per week.

> I will solider on in the hope of divine inspiration will strike me and I will 
> see sense.

Let us know how it is going and (if at all) we can help. :)

Tim

--
www.tdobson.net
----
If each of us have one object, and we exchange them, then each of us
still has one object.
If each of us have one idea, and we exchange them, then each of us now
has two ideas.   -  George Bernard Shaw