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ian

@ ian @feddit.uk

Posts
1
Comments
155
Joined
3 yr. ago

  • digiKam, KDE's powerful photo managing software, reaches version 8.3.0

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  • "It is not strange"

    The terminal is nothing like familiar GUIs people use daily. To most, the terminal is strange and full of opportunities to mess up.

    "so much faster by copy/paste"

    It's not faster when the user needs to go to a separate application first to find the instructions, then find the text to copy. And also search for how to use the terminal, and that it might be called Konsole confusingly. And also to understand if the command did anything. Does it print anything that you need to read? Should you close the terminal afterwards? Should you trust copy pasting from Internet strangers? All this is missing from online help, where they assume people have used the command line before.

    Such a GUI app could be launched from Dolphin by right-clicking the share, and selecting a new option "Mount" that would help discoverability. A standalone app would need:

    • A clear title. Like "Mount Share"
    • A 'Share selecter' Browser.
    • The 'mount point' definition should have both:
      • 'Folder Browser' for manual selection.
      • 'Default path' option. Most don't know where it should be mounted.
    • 'Credential definition' needs a 'Guest/Anonymous' option for when there is no account defined.
    • Feedback message on success or failure
    • Easy to install.

  • digiKam, KDE's powerful photo managing software, reaches version 8.3.0

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  • You really have to put yourself in the position of a non IT user. They see a blank window with a blinking cursor. No hint at what to do. You know they have already chosen GUI systems. And for good reason. It's over. The numbers are clear. Talk to usability insiders. As you have clearly shown you are not one. Many Linux devs have worked hard to carefully create desktop environments and Apps like Digikam, all GUI based. To give non IT users a chance to use Linux. And make it an inclusive and learnable OS. They hate it when usability outsiders scare people off by telling them to leave their familiar world into a strange and difficult place.

  • digiKam, KDE's powerful photo managing software, reaches version 8.3.0

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  • In Dolphin, yes it's very easy to access the share. Ideally, DigiKam would work the same way. As do apps in Windows. This is why I say mounting shouldn't be necessary. Most computer users are not familiar with such methods. I guess you are not interested in usability. Don't mix what you find easy and what other, non IT users will find easy. And they will have to learn every step that you already know. The command line fails hugely on usability, learnability and familiarity. As such other OSs don't expect people to use it. And as such have the majority market share.

    Yes, if direct access is not possible, there should be an easy GUI way to mount a share. I'd happily help with the UX.

  • digiKam, KDE's powerful photo managing software, reaches version 8.3.0

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  • It is hard if you don't know you need to mount the share. How long should people be searching the web for, looking to access the share directly like some apps can do, when they have never even heard of the concept of mounting a share. Telling non IT people to use some command line or other nerdy hack, with magic words that fail if one single letter is wrong, to do what shouldn't even be necessary in the first place, is typical gatekeepery that stops so many from using Linux. You might not realise what a huge barrier, such broken usability is, for non IT people. Avoid being part of that barrier.

  • digiKam, KDE's powerful photo managing software, reaches version 8.3.0

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  • Like many KDE apps, DigiKam can't see a network share. Which is a real disaster compared to better systems. It works if you can somehow mount the NAS share. But for non IT people, due to some sort of UX blunder, it's never been possible to permanently mount a share with any GUI tool. Despite Dolphin being able to see the share. The nearest I got was to install and run a program called Smb4k. This will temporarily mount the share. And needs to be running all the time. But it times out a lot.

  • Don't use Appimages (a writeup about all the reasons they are a pain for users)

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  • Can the user choose? Not if there is only an appimage. Some devs don't realise the problems they are causing doing that. So it is very important to enlighten them.

  • Don't use Appimages (a writeup about all the reasons they are a pain for users)

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  • As a user, I can't choose, if a dev only releases an appimage. Then it's a real pain or I skip the app.

  • France bans 'steak' and 'escalope' labels from vegetarian products

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  • We're not allowed to call part of the night sky, the Milky Way any more.

  • France bans 'steak' and 'escalope' labels from vegetarian products

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  • Oh hell. I've been drinking Scheuermilch! I thought it was a bit crunchy

  • I made a plain text Linux cheat sheet as a reference and for beginners.

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  • Maybe the guide is not intended for some beginners after all?

  • I made a plain text Linux cheat sheet as a reference and for beginners.

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  • Wow. I'll definitely avoid Linux now. I had heard Linux was supposed to be easy to use now.

  • I'd like to get away from "arch bad for new users"

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  • Yes. Then the newb is typically happy to learn the Arch ways. Showing that "arch bad for new users" is a bad choice of words.

  • I'd like to get away from "arch bad for new users"

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  • But, for a non IT person, installing Linux, using the typical GUI tools is not specially hard to do. Write an ISO to a USB stick. Boot the PC. Answer the installer questions like language etc. And if something doesn't work, try a different distro. The problems come when people suggest users use unfamiliar UIs, such as the command line or fiddling with config files, where, if you don't know the exact magic words, it fails to work.

  • I'd like to get away from "arch bad for new users"

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  • I agree with the OP. But swap the term "newbie" for "casual user" or "non IT user", and more people would agree. Even the nerdiest IT Pro was a newbie whenever they use a distro for the first time. Avoid the term "normie" too, as people have different ideas of what normal is. There are more non IT, power users who have a deep knowledge of their applications, than all Linux users put together.

    So this discussion is all around a sloppy choice of terminology.

  • In your opinion, which distro should I try to edit videos stably?

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  • Yes. I'm happy with the performance of the Kdenlive video editor on my weedy laptop with no GPU, 8gb ram, running Kubuntu. I did 20+ hour long videos for a conference no problem.