Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2020 14:34:20 -0500 From: Kyle Evans <kevans@freebsd.org> To: FreeBSD Hackers <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Ars Technica article on FreeBSD new user experience Message-ID: <CACNAnaF000ywitUn-HfqpFKZVXBtU78m=OXQXego9_0SxrT-jQ@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <CAPyFy2AVfEzey0%2B9-b8ZS1uyn8ODOoNhCHY7fHp2uc9ASiw%2BnA@mail.gmail.com> References: <CAPyFy2AVfEzey0%2B9-b8ZS1uyn8ODOoNhCHY7fHp2uc9ASiw%2BnA@mail.gmail.com>
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On Thu, Apr 9, 2020 at 2:05 PM Ed Maste <emaste@freebsd.org> wrote: > > Jim Salter has an article in Ars Technica discussing his experience > with FreeBSD 12.1 as a desktop: > https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/04/not-actually-linux-distro-review-freebsd-12-1-release/ > > There are some points in there that might involve misunderstanding, > but there are also a number of real issues raised about the experience > a new (or newish) desktop FreeBSD user will have. It will be a good > idea for us to examine these, and offer advice or corrections if > appropriate, and otherwise look how we can improve the FreeBSD > experience for new users. Random small collection of thoughts I had after reading this: 1. re: LiveCD/Amnesiac prompt, we really should indicate the expected credentials... we already do special stuff in release/ for install media, my initial impression is that this shouldn't be all too hard. 2. re: default shell and niceties: complete agreement, IMO we should at least have basically usable history at a minimum 3. re: `pkg search xorg` -- that makes sense, given "pkg search xorg returns too many hits to fit on a single page of a text-mode console". Looking at sample output for that specific inquiry: linux-c7-xorg-libs-7.7_8 Xorg libraries (Linux CentOS 7.7.1908) xorg-7.7_3 X.Org complete distribution metaport xorg-apps-7.7_4 X.org apps meta-port xorg-cf-files-1.0.6 X.org cf files for use with imake builds xorg-dmx-1.20.8,1 Distributed Multihead X from X.Org xorg-docs-1.7.1,1 X.org documentation files I wonder if we shouldn't push the version numbers into a second column so it's easier to glean. The initial column with full pkgname is a bit too noisy for my eyes. Further, and this only really applies probably in conjunction with other potential problems and may be completely incorrect, but I think we should be giving our users something that they can just quickly slap onto a `pkg install ` line and have the greatest chance of doing the right thing. AFAICT pkg-search won't trigger a `pkg update` before the search, so by the time you actually pkg update+install the remote repo may not have that specific package (w/ version) anymore: 4. re: /proc, we should hold a separate discussion on this list about whether we can mount /proc by default with debugging facilities eradicated. Thanks, Kyle Evans
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