Re: [gNewSense-users] ideas & suggestions about gNewSense

[Karl Goetz]

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:57:21 +0100
"Torsten Behrens" <address@hidden> wrote:

> Hello everyone,
> 
> I am a gNewSense user, living in Northern Germany and for a few weeks
> now, I am also
> corresponding with Richard Stallman via email. I wrote Richard
> several of my ideas and
> suggestions for the future version(s) of gNewSense, because myself I

Well... here's really the place for it, not RMS' mailbox.

> am no computer
> expert at all -- I only do have basic knowledge, but not in
> programming nor editing the reps

All you need to contribute is a desire to learn and spare time.

> sources, etc.
> Maybe, you're also interested in my suggestions and ideas.
> 
> Here are some things that should be preinstalled in gNewSense (in my
> view):

Remember there's 650 (or 700 for non-standard) Mb on a CD.

> 
> - free graphic drivers support (for Nvidia or ATI). It's strange that
> EnvyNG is available for
> gNewSense, but I still have not found any solution(s) how to
> activate/install my Nvidia
> graphic driver with EnvyNG at gNewSense.

I disagree. the basic ones shipped in Xorg are more then enough for
most people. including 10s of MB of driver that most people cant use
makes no sense.

> - free GNU versions of the "Firefox 3" browser (i.e. IceCat) and also
> for "Thunderbird"
> (Icedove), because these browsers are more popular than Epiphany, or
> Evolution as
> default email program.

Just because somethings "more popular" doesn't mean its a better tool,
or more useful.

> - more free multimedia players, maybe a free GNU version of the
> popular VLC Media
> Player of a GNU alternative of the Gnome MPlayer, etc.

Installed by default, or part of the distribution? You package it, it
can join the distro.
No, I dont see them being part of default install as Totem works quite
well for most things, and having multiple (large) tools for each job is
silly.

> - OpenJDK also should be preinstalled at gNewSense (or IcedTea with
> Open Java
> applets).

Java is huge (all its implementations are). I think someone else said
gjc was included by default, so java may already be there.

> - a free Flash Player (that also works!)

Bleh. No flash is a feature, in my humble opinion.

> - preinstalled free multimedia codecs (like Ogg Vorbis, FLAC,

I thought these are installed by default?

> Musepack, etc.). For
> newbies at gNewSense it's very frustrating, confusing & irritating to
> install all these codecs,
> unless they knows what should be install and what not! Make things for
> newcomers a bit
> easier! Myself, I was sitting hours at my computer, to find out what

How much easier? Why don't we fly someone around giving training lessons
to everyone who downloads the iso (or how about no?)

> (free) codecs I should
> install and which not.

If its in the repos and is non-free its a bug, so every codec
installable via synaptic should be free.

> If all these things (above) are preinstalled at gNewSense's next
> edition(s), so I am quite
> sure that more and more people would switch to gNewSense. I am a great

Just as if it included proprietary drivers, firmware, non-free artwork,
etc it would be more popular (And I could call it... hm... Ubuntu
perhaps.)

> supporter of
> gNewSense and I like your philosophy of 100% free software, but
> remember that some
> things for newcomers -or people with little computer knowledge- are a
> bit too
> complicated. That's why some things really should be preinstalled to

I'm one of those people who sees no good reason to make people who
*are* familiar/competent move somewhere else in the name of making it
easy for those who are not.

> make things easier
> for people to use gNewSense. Make gNewSense as easy as "Linux Mint",
> but with 100%
> free software preinstalled, not with properitary softwares as in
> Linux Mint. That's my
> suggestion.

My suggestion is that you help out.

> 
> Can you please also tell me when gNewSense's next edition will be
> released? I didn't find
> any information about the next edition on the gNewSense's website. I
> am curious to know!

Its based on LTS releases.
kk

> I hope that my email was kind of inspiration for you and your team.
> 
> Thank you very much for listening.
> 
> Torsten Behrens


-- 
Karl Goetz, (Kamping_Kaiser / VK5FOSS)
Debian user / gNewSense contributor
http://www.kgoetz.id.au
No, I won't join your social networking group