Re: [PLUG] Linux install-a-thon?

[Rich Freeman via plug <plug@lists.phillylinux.org>]

On Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 10:46 AM Walt Mankowski via plug
<plug@lists.phillylinux.org> wrote:
>
> The computing world is different now than it was 10-15 years ago.
> Today everyone carries around a computer in their pocket. Plus there
> are Chromebooks for school and $80 netbooks at Micro Center. I think a
> lot of people who were using the Debian boxes we built back in the day
> might be better served today with a commodity Android phone.
>

Agree with this sentiment.  I'd be happy to volunteer with the install
part, but we should definitely first make sure that there is a need.

Also, if somebody knows nothing about computers, a $100 chromebook
might be a more maintainable option.  They're just way more resistant
to shooting yourself in the foot and they're very secure out of the
box.

> On Sun, Jan 07, 2024 at 10:09:23AM -0500, K.S. Bhaskar via plug wrote:
> >    - Promote virtually, but have an in-person installfest. Having installed
> >    Linux on (I guesstimate) at least 100 old Windows machines, one out of
> >    every 3-4 machines has some wrinkle to overcome before getting a successful
> >    install. Fortunately device drivers are no longer the problem on Linux that
> >    they used to be. You can't overcome these wrinkles remotely.

If it takes one of us an hour of fidgeting to get some 10 year old
laptop to boot up in Ubuntu (or heaven forbid one of our favorite
niche distros), what is going to happen when there is a software
update or some other issue that breaks it after we hand it off?  I'd
say that if a PC can't automagically install Ubuntu it is effectively
ewaste for anybody but an enthusiast who intends to use it in some
project.  You want to give something supportable to the end user.

That's the other reason something like a Chromebook is a better
option.  It has full OEM support and a hardware EOL date.  For $100
you get a laptop that isn't going to break for 5 years or so, with a
vendor doing full QA on that model to ensure that is the case.

-- 
Rich
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