Do you try to get people to use linux?

[somuchfortheafter]

if you can use synaptic as it is, then linspire is not for you. Linspire is for people who cannot, like paying a mechanic for car repair, granted if you knew what you were doing it would cost much less but you dont lol. Also I have switched a few friends, roomates, and hopefully everyone at work from fedora to ubuntu now that my ship-it cds came...

[dolny]

I'm trying to convert some people, I installed Linux for one guy, he is toying with it right now. Oh, I installed Mandrake a couple months ago on another friend's comp. Anyway I think that they won't convert but I can die tryin'

[Gtaylor]

Our College LUG is very active with this. We hold multiple installfests per semester and have even most recently harangled our technical organization into offering a Windows/Ubuntu dual boot option for school laptops next year. We expect the number of Ubuntu/Linux users on campus to skyrocket due to our background as an engineering school (a lot of classes are beginning to require Linux).

So to answer your question, Yes. And there's nothing better than hearing someone come back a few weeks after an InstallFest and saying, "I don't know what I ever did without Linux, this is great."

[jdong]

It depends on the type of person. I got a bunch of Windows Nerd kinds of people around me trying out LiveCD's and simple HD installs, and they're doing fine on their own.

I also have one person who's more of the hold-my-hand-and-walk-me-through type, and it's more and more of a PITA to deal with...

oh well

[skoal]

Phase 2 of "operation 3F" is now underway. "3F" is the secret codeword for "Family Flip Flop" - the conversion of all family members from Windows to Linux.

My brother has been recently having problems with hardware on his windows box. I 'snaked' 10 gigs from his last partition, installed Kubuntu on there, and now his DVD-R burner works as advertised. I also told him there are much better P2P clients on linux than just using 'winMX'. He's hooked. He's sucking down my 'snake oil' faster than I can pitch it to him. That's 3 down, 4 to go...

Once phase 2 is complete, "operation 4F" will commence. Yes, indeed...my "Friends" are next...

muahahah...

poor suckers...never know what hit 'em...

\\//_

[Nu-Buntu]

I was probably the last person to go from CP/M to MSDOS and almost certainly the last person to go from DOS to windows (I think it was DOS v6 directly to Win98 ).

In that context, I'm miles ahead of schedule to convert to Linux!

Nothing wrong with DOS. I still use it and several DOS programs on occasion. Borland Paradox for DOS is a great database. I also still have /fr burned into my fingers' memory (DOS spreadsheet jockeys will know what I am talking about).

DOS is certainly more stable than any version of Windows, along with installs are just copying files to their own directory. Knowing DOS also makes learning the Linux command line a lot easier.

I am enjoying the power of the LCL. It is like DOS on steroids.

[Brunellus]

That is amazing. I am 23, I have a GUI ever since i have been using a computer. I remember having a DOS 486 in the house but i never used it.

What a difference a year makes. I'm 24. We got our first computer at home when I was in kindergarten: Dad's huge steel-clamshell Kaypro laptop. As I recall, it must have run something like DOS 2--he mostly used it to type stuff for work on Word*Star.

Next was some nameless PC-XT clone, running DOS 3.3. It had a monochrome Amber CRT. I played Othello with it, also played what must have been Zork or Zork-like textgames.

Then we got the most awesome computer I have ever owned: A 386...with a VGA screen and a SoundBlaster...and a whopping 4 MB of RAM (as I recall). I got to be very handy with various hacks for upper memory managers so that I could play WingCommander on this.

Once Windows 95 came out, it was impossible to really command-line anything in Windows, and I stopped understanding what was going on with the computer. Linux brings me back to my beginnings in that respect.

[poofyhairguy]

It depends on the type of person.

This is true. I find Linux is good for two types of people:

1. Those that are REALLY clueless with computers, and don't want to do that much with them. All they want is to surf the web and check their email in peace. Maybe a document every now and then. Ubuntu works great if you set it up for them. The best are people that are so green that they can't even use Windows (aka it turned into a malware box within a week because of IE). They LOVE Ubuntu. More than me sometimes. I have a few friends like this, and they love Linux the most. One tries to spread it despite the fact that he doesn't really know what he is doing. I help him in this cause. This is where I see the potential for growth. I love this kind of computer user, and I want to help them out.

2. Super nerds. I guess a lot of us that like to tinker, love having a commandline, love having tons of free software in synaptic and are willing to do a little more to get hardware to work or something. Or we are willing to do research to buy hardware that works.


But I find that the people in between don't really like Linux. Gamers don't like the lack of native games. People that think they are Windows Wizards (but really aren't) don't like the fact that they have to relearn everything. Older people that have a stronger grasp of computers might not like the fact that you just can't go to Best Buy and pick up some new hardware or software and have it "just work."

I honestly don't know if Linux will ever make the people in the middle happy.

[escuchamezz]

r

[jdodson]

I don't do anything beyond handing someone a CD and pointing them to documentation. Reason?

I don't have time to walk people though GNU/Linux land. I do have time to help people and point them in the right direction. I can say "you know, GNU/Linux serves 99% of my computing needs."

However, my involvement stops there. I also don't want to "force" someone into running it, and have them freak out and re install windows. People need to make the transition on thier own, and then own the move as the best possible option. Else, they return to the proprietary world.