[PLUG] Linux for non-computer person

Tomas Kuchta tomas.kuchta.lists at gmail.com
Mon Jan 13 18:32:09 UTC 2025


I hope that I am not taking too much of your time - What drives you to
Compiz?

I Googled it - it looks like an eye candy/gimmick based on the description,
no disrespect meant --> "Compiz is a compositing window manager for the X
Window System, using 3D graphics hardware to create fast compositing
desktop effects for window management"

I am really just curious,
Tomas

On Mon, Jan 13, 2025, 13:08 Chuck Hast <wchast at gmail.com> wrote:

> Again a lot of good stuff rolls in. I read the comments, I see a lot of
> things that had not occurred to me.
>
> A wee bit more history here, in my case I have now for years tried to find
> and use distros that were Compiz
> friendly. I like the Compiz way things are done. BUT I fear that is way too
> much for my wife to handle.
>
> I used both Mint and Mate, and still have desktops running the latest
> version of Mate that had Compiz as a
> selectable WM. But I recently acquired a Framework 13 and ended  up putting
> Xubuntu on it because Compiz
> installed on the distro with a minimum of issues (I no longer am so happy
> to fight with "we don't think you need
> this" crap, if they cause me pain and agony to install it I go elsewhere
> now) But I do not want to put her through
> having to learn all of the things that Compiz can do just by the wrong
> click...
>
> I did try the latest iteration of Ubuntu but it seemed too rigid to me. It
> seem like you could not populate the desk
> top with the usual app icons and directories (fie on the work folder they
> are STILL directories to me) I never got
> what I thought was a satisfactory desktop with it.
>
> Fedora and the Arch distros are very good but since I do not use them much
> I do not want to remote them.
>
> That brings me back to Mint and Mate. Both I use here at home. But I want
> to make sure that I have something
> that I feel comfortable with locally and yes I do like the idea of the
> local replica of what she will have on her
> machine.
>
> Yes I am going to enable auto update. And I will be logging in remotely to
> check things out and make sure
> all is up to date.
>
> Right now my only issue is some sort of digital signature dongle that they
> use in Costa Rica for digital
> signatures. I hope it is not some sort of "windows only" piece of junk. I
> am trying to get as much info as
> I can on it.
>
> Again, thank all of you for all of the info so far. Still open to
> observations and recommendations.
>
>
> On Sun, Jan 12, 2025 at 10:01 PM Ted Mittelstaedt <tedm at portlandia-it.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Chuck since you are going to be her technical support department and get
> > all her support calls, why are you deluding yourself that there's a
> > mythical Linux out there that is different than the one you use that you
> > can give her and she won't need to bother you for help?  That's the
> > nonsense that all the Mac fanboys spout.
> >
> > The best distro for her is what you use, because you will need to know
> > what she is using inside-out like the back of your hand.
> >
> > You ARE going to get the "where's the any key" calls.  It's simply
> amazing
> > how creative luddite users are at stumbling over the most obvious aspects
> > of computer usage there are out there.
> >
> > Spend a few hours reading the following:
> >
> > https://www.reddit.com/r/talesfromtechsupport/
> >
> > Then resign yourself.
> >
> > Ted
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: PLUG <plug-bounces at lists.pdxlinux.org> On Behalf Of mo
> > Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2025 5:32 PM
> > To: Portland Linux/Unix Group <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> > Subject: Re: [PLUG] Linux for non-computer person
> >
> > Linux mint for newbies. Just easy. Not my pref but it's what I used when
> I
> > was newbie. I recommend budgie desktop too.
> >
> > On Sun, Jan 5, 2025, 07:56 Chuck Hast <wchast at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I think is is coming down to Mate and Mint, having run both (more Mate
> > > then Mint because up until recently Compiz was one of the selectable
> > > window managers on Mate, I have Mate machines running Compiz with I
> > > think it is 22.04, but at some point Mate decided to drop Compiz as an
> > > option, I tried to install it anyhow but ran into all kinds of issues.
> > > That is when I turned to Xubuntu, installing Compiz on it was very
> > > easy and it all just worked, as it used to with Mate. My work with
> > > Mint was similar, installing Compiz on it was easy and it was one of
> > > the window manager solutions then they dropped it, I moved to Mate
> > > then. That is my history with those distros. I still install them for
> > > folks. I let them test both and tell me which the like then I set the
> > > machine up with the preference.
> > >
> > > Still I am all ears if anyone has comments.
> > >
> > > On Sat, Jan 4, 2025 at 5:56 PM Richard England <rlengland at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Frame work also has official support for Fedora. I run MATE on mine
> > > > and I am quite happy with it.
> > > >
> > > > ~~Richard
> > > > Non fenestras quia MCMXC
> > > >
> > > > On 1/4/25 06:51, Kunal Zodape wrote:
> > > > > I think for Framework there is official support for Ubuntu 24.04.1
> > > > > LTS
> > > so
> > > > > you can use that and have all peripherals like fingerprint reader
> > > > > and webcam working out of the box. For non-Linux folks trying to
> > > > > get into
> > > it
> > > > I
> > > > > generally recommend the most well documented and stable ones but
> > > > > if you want you can choose some of the off-beat community
> > > > > supported Distros as well.
> > > > > *Pick your poison:* https://frame.work/linux
> > > > >
> > > > > Regards,
> > > > > Kunal
> > > > >
> > > > > On Sat, Jan 4, 2025 at 7:35 PM Chuck Hast <wchast at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> Good day folks and happy new year...
> > > > >> I am about to install linux on a computer for my wife. It will be
> > > > >> a Framework 13. Now the fun part.
> > > > >> My wife has been a real luddite, but he smartphone has slowly
> > > > >> showed
> > > her
> > > > >> that she needs to have
> > > > >> a real computer for daily work. She wanted something small and
> > > > >> light I showed her the Framework 13 I have, she wants one.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> So my question is what distro should I put on this thing that
> > > > >> will be
> > > > easy
> > > > >> for a very non-computer person to use.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I am not with her all the time. She is in Costa Rica as executor
> > > > >> of
> > > her
> > > > >> father's estate, I go down
> > > > >> there when I can to help, and we are also starting a new business
> > > which
> > > > >> entails export from
> > > > >> Costa Rica to USA. So she does need a computer (I have been
> > > > >> telling
> > > her
> > > > >> that now for many
> > > > >> years).
> > > > >>
> > > > >> So what distro would be best for her to start out with?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> --
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Chuck Hast  -- KP4DJT --
> > > > >> I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
> > > > >> Ph 4:13 KJV
> > > > >> Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.
> > > > >> Fil 4:13 RVR1960
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
>


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