Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 19:16:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Ed Yu <edlyu@yahoo.com> To: Jud <jud@myrealbox.com>, Greg 'groggy' Lehey <grog@lemis.com> Cc: Hostmaster@Video2Video.Com, mwvw@adelphia.net, FreeBSD-Questions@FreeBSD.Org Subject: Re: What do we need in a FreeBSD desktop? (was: Peter heads back to M$FT WinBloze [support groups]) Message-ID: <20020730021610.25982.qmail@web20701.mail.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <20020729215629.435b4356.jud@myrealbox.com>
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I have used mutt and I liked it but I think for instant-workstation, evolution would be more appropriate. I have noticed also that new users seems to prefer galeon a lot as well. -ed --- Jud <jud@myrealbox.com> wrote: > On Sun, 28 Jul 2002 12:00:16 +0930 > Greg 'groggy' Lehey <grog@lemis.com> wrote: > > [snip] > >The real > > problem I have is knowing which of the over 7,000 > ports you want > > to install to get "basic" desktop functionality. > Some time ago > > I created the "instant-workstation" port, but > didn't make much > > noise about it. instant-workstation basically > installs a number > > of dependent ports (see below for a list) and then > does some > > minor configuration. Over the past couple of days > I've been > > installing a brand new machine (laptop) for a > friend, and I've > > been looking at the rough edges. Here's what I've > found: > > > > 1. Some of the dependent ports don't build > cleanly. This > > obviously > > requires some attention. > > 2. "instant" is a misnomer, at least if you build > from source. > > I'm > > building on a Dell Inspiron 7500 with a 600 > MHz processor, > > and it takes over 12 hours. > > 3. Once it's built, it works "out of the box". > I've installed > > the > > XFree86 4 port, and installation is really > nothing more than > > this: > > > > # X -configure > > # mv /root/XF86Config.new /etc > > # echo exec kdestart > ~me/.xinitrc > > > > You can then run startx or xdm and end up in a > relatively > > complete kde environment. > > > > So what's in instant-workstation? Currently I > have: > > > > acroread > > bash > > cdrecord > > dos2unix > > emacs > > fetchmail > > gs > > grip > > gimp > > gv > > gpg > > ispell > > startkde > > mkisofs > > mount_smbfs > > mutt > > netscape > > xtset > > xmms > > xv > > > > My questions to you: is there anything missing? > Has anybody > > tried instant-workstation? I'd be interested in > suggestions > > about how to improve it. > > > > Greg > > I haven't tried instant-workstation, so of course > I'll rush in > where angels fear to tread. > > One of the instant-workstation ports I have not > tried is mutt, > though I've read much praise for it and no negatives > that I can > recall. I wonder, though, whether a gui mail > application might be > a good choice for this "target market," in addition > to, instead > of, or as another choice besides mutt. Sylpheed > happens to be > the one I prefer, and it seems to be well liked by > many other > users. Speaking as someone who didn't know a thing > about Unix a > couple of years ago (and hasn't improved on the > situation all that > much since:), it was very easy to learn. > > Another place where options might be appreciated is > browsers - > perhaps Galeon, Opera, Mozilla? And Lynx I think is > excellent for > getting around on the Net at times when one doesn't > want to or > can't be in X. > > Perhaps that's taken care of by w3m (I don't > remember ATM whether > that's part of the default emacs install)? That > brings me to my > last and likely most controversial thought. Emacs > does everything > but bake blueberry muffins, but it might be more > intimidating (or > puzzling - took me awhile just to understand what > "M-x" > meant) than useful to someone fairly new to Unix. > It does take a > while to build and install (and download, for those > of us on > dial-ups). And the configuration options! - not > exactly > 'instant.' If it's part of the install, it seems to > me users will > try it, and may wind up thinking "Jeez, this stuff > is hard" as a > first impression of FreeBSD. > > HTH, > > Jud > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of > the message __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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