Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 18:04:52 -0400 From: Malartre <malartre@aei.ca> To: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> Cc: dwilde1@ibm.net, "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com>, freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Demo CDs (was: blessing) Message-ID: <3547A403.6E80E1A4@aei.ca> References: <17537.893491629@time.cdrom.com> <3541F04D.474FE994@ibm.net> <19980429145242.02565@papillon.lemis.com>
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Greg Lehey wrote:
> On Sat, 25 April 1998 at 7:16:45 -0700, Don Wilde wrote:
> > Jordan K. Hubbard wrote:
> >>
> >> [Sorry for delay]
> >>
> >> > Okay, the first thing I'd like to do is to return this discussion to
> >> > -advocacy. I need enthusiastic people and they need leadership.
> >>
> >> Agreed. Listen to General Wilde, folks. :-)
> >
> > Second, the easy-demo-version disk is a real winner, especially a
> > you-*can't*-break-anything version that runs completely off the CD
> > and DRAM. _Please_ keep working on these, because I'm gonna be way
> > too busy to do more than kibitz.(Greg and Eivind?).
>
> Is this me you're talking about? I thought my role was to stand in
> the wings and encourage people.
>
> OK, so what do we need? My thought is for two or three preinstalled
> versions:
>
> 1. A CD-ROM-based version which will boot from CD-ROM, Microsoft or
> floppy, create an MFS file system for things that really need to
> write to "disk", and other than that run from CD-ROM. Create the
> / file system on the mfs and symlinks to just about everything
> except /tmp, /var/tmp and /home to the CD-ROM. With any luck, we
> should be able to get away with 4 MB MFS.
>
> 2. PicoBSD for those who want it. Copy to floppy and execute.
>
> 3. In the background, for those who are hooked, the regular
> installable version of FreeBSD.
>
> Versions (1) and (2) would effectively be canned versions which
> couldn't easily be modified. Run with "standard" peripherals,
> including Enternet and SVGA to 1024x768, but with a base resolution of
> 640x480 so that X will come up on just about any currently available
> board. Include a functional fvwm95 window mangler so that what comes
> up looks pretty much like what Microsoft users are used to (can
> somebody come up with a daemon logo to fit where Microsoft puts its
> windows logo?). Also a PPP configuration that could easily be
> modified to suit just about anything that the standard Windows 95% can
> do.
>
> This thing needs more flesh. Any ideas? What problems do you see?
> About the biggest one I see so far is how to find the mouse. It would
> be nice to modify startx to check for the mouse if no valid pointer
> section is found in the XF86Config file ("no mouse found: please move
> your mouse around until I say \"stop\""). Anybody know how to
> recognize a mouse?
>
> Greg
>
Well, I dont see why you want to do that lite version.Can you explain me to
who you will give that package? If you try to put that on a popular
magazine, I dont think any Win95 user will succesfully try it... People
(maybe like me 4 weeks ago) who use win95 will never understand your product
in that *lite* way.
1: What's your market: Win95 user, Linux user, Unix user, Server Admin,
kids?
2: If its server market, you dont need a Lite version
3: If its Win95 even Mac, no one will understand They will think it run
under Win95 and
they will flood questions@freebsd.org
4: If its Linux, it will work because linux user will understand, but like I
was saying, put
FreeBSD, not a FreeBSD lite. That should be a good idea, on some Unix
mag or linux
mag.
5: You never need a Lite package. Do a MPEG video or an apps who will show
the
OS's power. Maybe a Java Applet on the web should be a good idea...
FreeBSD will never be for normal user who only want a good
MS-Words-like-apps. Win95 do the jobs. Your main target should be:
1: Server (kill BSDi!)
2: Take Linux user
3: Take other Unix user
4: *Maybe* WinNT user
Play the game: Take Linux User, Server Admin.
If I was you, I would do publicity in the Unix world. Like posters, pamphlet,
brochure, explanation sheet. Be at all exposition, comdex.
Sorry for my bad english and for the long boring mail!
Just an opinion
Malartre
*PS: find some student in marketing!!! Use universities*
--
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www.aei.ca/~malartre/ FreeBSD 4 Newbies project
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