MX for Beginners.

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Gordon Cooper
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MX for Beginners.

#1 Post by Gordon Cooper »

Mel writes some pleasant comments about MX-17 at

https://www.osradar.com/mx-linux-17-upg ... beginners/

including a link to a D O installation video
Last edited by Gordon Cooper on Tue May 15, 2018 12:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Backup: Dell9010, MX-19_B2, Win7, 120 SSD, WD 232GIB HD, 4GB RAM
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Artim
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Re: MX for Beginners

#2 Post by Artim »

I think the only thing I would change - to make it easier for beginners - might be some way to find out what these applications with funny names actually do. For example, Thunar. What newbie would know it's a file manager (and a really good one)?

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chrispop99
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Re: MX for Beginners

#3 Post by chrispop99 »

Artim wrote:I think the only thing I would change - to make it easier for beginners - might be some way to find out what these applications with funny names actually do. For example, Thunar. What newbie would know it's a file manager (and a really good one)?
If you search the Whisker menu for 'file manager' it comes up as File Manager. It's described in the menu as 'Thunar File Manager'. Hovering over a panel shortcut shows 'File Manager'. I'm not sure how it could be clearer.

In the Whisker menu, each item has a reasonably clear description of its function under its name.

Compared to many of its peers, I think MX excels in trying to make things clear for all levels of user. There is certainly a lot of work put into that aspect during development.

Chris
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Gordon Cooper
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Re: MX for Beginners

#4 Post by Gordon Cooper »

I agree with the comment from Chris, but think that beginners may need a simple step by step guide on installing MX. There is plenty of help available and Jerry has
explained things very well in the MX Manual. However, newbies may not find this help until they have installed the OS and joined the forum. Perhaps we need a guide
that will take through getting a copy of MX , then the installation, WITHOUT anything to distract them - i.e. references to differences from other systems or attempts
to tell them what MX can do. In the beginning just take them through the basics of getting and installing.
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chrispop99
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Re: MX for Beginners

#5 Post by chrispop99 »

There is a whole mountain of information available in a link from the MX home page:

https://mxlinux.org/support

Perhaps we need to find a way of pointing new users to that?

Chris
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Jerry3904
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Re: MX for Beginners

#6 Post by Jerry3904 »

You can lead a horse to water...

I've proposed a 1-page popup "Quick Guide" before, but it doesn't have Dev support since nobody seems to like popups much.
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Jerry3904
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Re: MX for Beginners

#7 Post by Jerry3904 »

Man, I just looked at that and find it bizarre:

1) The title is nearly the same as one we already have on the Reviews page, and came out on the same date.
2) He writes this sentence at the end:
The only drawback (for now) is that lack of support, but it’s nothing new for any new Linux distro.
He said nothing about a lack of support in the article, but the other one makes quite a point about it.

Think I'll keep it off the Reviews page...
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Richard
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Re: MX for Beginners

#8 Post by Richard »

I think all in all it is a positive review.
He's really looking for a bit of hand-holding, offered,
for new users. Easy to by-pass for experienced users
but persistent for newbies.

Maybe a category in the Whisker menu that says Help.
I know the manual is there but one must look for it.

I like your idea for a quick start page for beginners.
Perhaps show it before the present welcome page
and make it non-modal off to the side so it will stay visible
and available until clicked to put it away.
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linwinux

Re: MX for Beginners

#9 Post by linwinux »

I've been telling and getting exasperated telling people this for years ... PEOPLE DON'T FRIGGEN READ ANYMORE !!! It's a fact, something that I started noticing in professional emails between myself and other companies ... ANY COMPANY with an online presence, where I would receive exchanges or solutions that only adressed half of what was being talked about, and sometimes not even that much. It appears to be a global phenomenon, most set in the USA and in Europe. During the past 10 years this has gotten increasingly worse (IMO). So much so anymore, that when I build a computer system for someone, I have my own "dummy proof" files that I include by default. The names of the files are dummy proof as well, so there's no mistake about what one is about to read. When someone picks up a machine from me (had my first Windows8 to MX Linux convert today) :happy: , I demand an hour of free tutoring, so I can pound it into their brain, that those 7 or 8 single page PDF files are really all they *NEED* to know. That's how I get people interested in Linux ... "Wow, I can't believe how easy & fast everything works"
Once they've used MX Linux (before that it was Mint) for 4 to 6 months, then I refer them to the manual, which they'll probably never look at.

It's the developers, translators, forum helpers, and 1 out of 25 other people in between (or so it seems) who don't mind reading & writing. But most people just want to point 'n' click and have things work magically, correctly, all of the time, with never a flaw in what these people are doing on their machine.
I know that sounds a bit bleak, but I deal with Noobs all the time and that's been my experience for years.

Speaking of manual ... I read the first 15 pages day before yesterday and was left thinking ... "Who the heck could I ever refer this to?" ... because I don't know of anyone, even general computer users like my wife with 30 years professional experience, who would understand half of what's written. Most of the people who write manuals like that have forgotten that when a manual is "open to the public" then it's obviously also open to anyone who doesn't have the first clue about Linux, while perhaps having heard a whole lot about Linux in recent years. Here's a prime example of that ... Recently someone referred me to a page in the manual that has to do with systemd. I read that page 3 times and when I was finished I didn't REALLY know any more than I did before, aside from the fact that some developers prefer systemd, and others don't. I still don't know what it is, what specifically it does in nitty gritty detail, why it should truly matter to me, or why I can't just ignore the systemd i.e. whether it's being used or not by the OS, altogether.

My dummy files? The Start Menu/Button (used to be known as Start button in Windows), what it does and how to use it ... which also refers to how I set up the favorites to include any program that any general computer user might ever need ... to prevent them at least initially from getting too curious about other things that they know nothing about anyway.

Or how about the file ... File Manager, the most important tool on your Desktop.

Another file of mine ... The panel (taskbar or quick launch bar), why it's set up the way it is, and how to use it properly. Needless to say, I pre-configure the panel very specifically too.

Like I said, I have several files like that, each just one page long. The manual is all good and well, but these days, when someone picks up a machine from me ... they just want to take it, plug it in, and run with it. Considering these times of great Linux distros, I actually embrace that mentality because I know (and you know this too) that most of today's Linux distros are so simple to "manipulate" customize or whatever you want to call it, that "we" should have no problem creating Linux distros which the masses everywhere are happy to embrace.
That's my goal, shoving Linux down their throats very pleasantly, like a yummy dessert, with a setup that's even easier to use than Windoze. :happy: ;)

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uncle mark
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Re: MX for Beginners

#10 Post by uncle mark »

but these days, when someone picks up a machine from me ... they just want to take it, plug it in, and run with it. Considering these times of great Linux distros, I actually embrace that mentality because I know (and you know this too) that most of today's Linux distros are so simple to "manipulate" customize or whatever you want to call it, that "we" should have no problem creating Linux distros which the masses everywhere are happy to embrace.
I've done a number of Windows> Linux (usually Mint KDE) conversions, maybe a dozen or more. I set up the Desktop and tweak a few settings and do some cosmetic stuff and install a couple of additional programs and that's it. Mind you, I've vetted the client ahead of time, and stay away from i-people and Quicken/Quickbooks users, but of those I've set up, I haven't heard a peep out of any one of them. Not a one. I deliver the machine, set up the printer, walk them through updating, show them the browser launch buttons and office program buttons and turn them loose.
Custom build Asus/AMD/nVidia circa 2011 -- MX 19.2 KDE
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Toshiba Satellite C55 -- MX 18.3 Xfce
Assorted Junk -- assorted Linuxes

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