I love Ubuntu (except Karmic – it’s got too many issues for too many people).

1) The absolute BEST way for Windows users to use Ununtu is WUBI. End of story. Could not be easier, but makes some Linux die hards upset like it’s a crime against nature or something. I don’t care what some linux die hards think, WUBI gives a fast Ubuntu install in like 10 minutes with ZERO hard disk configuration issues. And the fact is the majority of everyday users SHOULD have a Windows dual boot install anyway for numerous reasons – yeah, I said it! And on the chance that the user decides in 6 months to make Ubuntu their primary OS, then they will know a lot of the basics of Linux and can tackle doing a real install of Ubuntu in a partition. In fact, that would be a useful guide…how to move your files from a wubi install to a new installation. I saw at least one blog how-to write up about that and it was pretty good.

But here’s what I think about the guide…assuming you want to reach as large an audience as possible.

2) This guide – I agree with the comments saying “who is the intended audience”. I applaud your serious efforts, but the document needs some major cleaning up. The comment about your hacks being misplaced in such a doc are completely true. The use of the word “noob” is a huge mistake and very unprofessional. It does not flow well in many parts. Proxy server aliases? Come on – this isn’t an email to your friends. I only say this so you can take the guide and make it that much better.

3) Forget the linux users saying it’s great. Give the guide to windows users and see what they do on their own – no coaching from you or anybody else. That will get the feedback you need – and no, it should not just be young techie males in the focus group…unless that’s your intended audience?

4) Given that Ubuntu releases twice a year, try to isolate out the generic parts from the release specific parts. If you have it all mixed together, updating this is going to get old fast and you’ll stop working on it as other things take up your time.

5) The CLI versus GUI arguing has been going on since the 80′s (at least) – I was there, I know. Do you know what the “hardcore techs” said back thsn…”Real men use DOS”. We see by market share who won that battle. Most Linux people need to be VERY careful when they talk about the command line in some silly “religious” kind of way because they sound just as ridiculous and hard headed as the “real men use dos” guys back in the day. Yes, the command line is powerful. Yes, it’s a tremendous asset. Yes, every Linux user should learn it. And Yes, Linux will NEVER move out of the tiny desktop market share (US) unless it eliminates the NEED to ever use it. The Web is one of the greatest sucess stories of our time – and it would never be where it is without the gui presentation. NOBODY is running Lynx to surf the web. Nobody. The masses want point and click, not arcane invocations. The guide has to understand that.

6) Be careful of the “linux geek” syndrome. The people that want Linux to be the same as it was in 15 years ago, as if in some special club, are the ones that have doomed it to such a small desktop market share. Technically sound does not have to mean difficult or cryptic. That’s why, even with the Vista failure, Windows 7 will still be on infinitely more desktops than Linux (US). It’s why Ubuntu is crushing the other distros on the desktop and you STILL have other distro people putting it down as “just a pretty face” instead of changing. The guides goals should be “idiot proof” and “ease”. Anything else in your guide weakens its effectiveness.

400,000 Windows viruses and 4 for Linux. Stan, you’ll understand someday soon about why “people in the know” are using Linux. I’m a brand new Linux user myself, and I’m so glad I took just a few days to learn and use Linux. I was sick of having to redo my crashed Windows machines every 3 months for the past 15 years. The last Windows virus I got installed itself as a rootkit and was examining my password protected storage. Took me five 20 hour days of research, running tons of anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-rootkits, running hidden services revealers, system service stoppers, anti-homepage hijackers, hidden registry cleaners, LDS fixers, System file checkers, Windows repair installs, to get the machine disinfected. Enough Windows for me Stan. My files, my passwords, my time, my money, and my identity are too precious to lose via this retarded Windows OS. Stan, someday you’ll be using Linux too.

“Most Geeks lack the ability to convey their knowledge to lesser
mortals.”

.. demystifying complexities is so much my thing, and I am really chuffed to get a comment like that. Thank you.

(Truth is tho, I ain’t bright enough to call myself a geek )

Will leave things as they are for a while and now have my Home directory in its own partition.

This was the first time I had a guide to partitioning that I had confidence in .
Most Geeks lack the ability to convey their knowledge to lesser
mortals.

@elderlybloke .. sorry to hear that. networking can be an achiles’ heel with Ubuntu. did you not even have an ethernet connection? generally the wifi will kick in after the initial system upgrade (sudo aptitude update .. sudo aptitude upgrade).

.. alternatively, you may have better luck with Mint.

@Pat/Jean .. too right about Mint. Personally, I prefer Karmic cos I prefer the menu layout to that of Mint’s Helena (Mint is Ubuntu with medibuntu and prettier, no?!) but otherwise they’re equally configurable, that I can see .. but it strikes me Mint is the ideal entry-level Linux OS, a great Windows swap.

A pity I could not connect to the Internet after , no matter what I did, so regretfully I have gone back to 8.10.