User advice needed: welcome window at first boot for ver. 5.0

[francois]

Discussing with rava, this idea came up. To help people to get acquainted with porteus with their first time encounter or with a new version of the porteus os, we could ship porteus with a welcome window as there is one for manjaro. This welcome window is optional and could be removed from the startup screen anytime by clicking the off option. As a reference here is the welcome window in manjaro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QDcJII8GIg

What is the most important information that you would like to see in that welcome window to help the porteus experience? All users are requested to give some input, especially newcomers or newbie to this porteus distribution.

Thanks.

[donald]

What is the most important information that you would like to see in that welcome window...

If all else fails, read the instructions.

[Ed_P]

^

[francois]

@donald:
Great suggestion!
@Ed:
You will have to do better.
Please prove that you have a little sense or argumentation.

[Rava]

Discussing with rava, this idea came up. To help people to get acquainted with porteus with their first time encounter or with a new version of the porteus os, we could ship porteus with a welcome window as there is one for manjaro. This welcome window is optional and could be removed from the startup screen anytime by clicking the off option.

Good idea, but I suggest key is: adding a cheat code that disables the info box even at first startup, even when the system runs via unaltered ISO and is in always fresh mode without any changes saved.

There are some issues that would make it easier for a user to know about when and how setting up Porteus so that he not runs into larger issues along the way, blaming it all on Porteus instead of not knowing any of the technical backgrounds nor caring about them.

When we addressed the issue in the info box and the user decides to not read it, and later complains about the very same issue, it is obvious he failed.
With the myriads or hardware and the myriads of user preferences it is impossible to create a Live Linux that gets it right for every user, one change might enlighten 70% of our fanbase while enraging the remaining 30%.
Us developers having decided on the change the info box could read

NEWWAY vs OLDWAY
We Porteus developers discussed the matter at hand, and decided by 9:1 vote to change the default behaviour of Porteus from 5.0 onwards into NEWWAY. If you prefer it the OLDWAY use cheat-code "oldway" and Porteus behaves like you used to know it, while by default it behaves in NEWWAY.

Then, when 5.1 comes along we remove everything about 5.0 and have a link telling the user that important changes and info about 5.0 are here to be found, but when you are familiar with 5.0 only read the 5.1 info below.

In the info box itself the cheat code to disable the info box needs also to be added.

[francois]

@rava:
There could be an X in the right corner as usual and at the same place maybe an option to cancel the information window on next boot, that would deactivate or move the welcome window to the optional folder.

[francois]

I think that that non-recurent informative or welcome window could be useful. It would target orientation of newbies or simply other linux distribution newcomers.

For example:

1.0 Browser selection and download.
Porteus does not ship with a browser because you can choose among a variety of browser in the following way:
Desktop menu > internet > browser selection tool

2.0 Passwords on porteus.
There are only two possible users on porteus: guest and root, the respective passwords are guest and toor. For security reasons, you should change these user passwords. Open a console:
Desktop menu > system > xfce terminal
Then type:
sudo passwd guest
guest
**new password***
confirmation
***same new password***
sudo passwd root
toor
**new password***
confirmation
***same new password***

3.0 Persistence.
Porteus could be installed on cd, usb and even on hdd. And persistence is possible:
*** link***

4.0 Additional packages>
***link***

[Rava]

Good idea, maybe also ask for user input maybe some had issues we are not aware cause the user was able to solve it by himself and never told us about it.

[francois]

@rava:

I have modified first post to inquire newcomers.

[ncmprhnsbl]

2.0 Passwords on porteus.

porteus-settings-centre

[francois]

@ncmprhnsbl:

Other features of 5.0 that could be worth mentioning?

[Rava]

It should be mentioned that when a user want a always fresh approach he can still save some settings.
By either create a module for the settings, or by having a Linux filesystem folder where $PORTDIR/rootcopy directs to.

I do all my Porteus like this, but to some new users the approach might not be self-explanatory.
I think there should be a section about similar matters: e.g. my approach, or the save container when folks want everything saved but only have vfat or ntfs drives, et cetera. Best list pros and cons.
The pro with my approach: secure, even if my system should have been hacked, any alterations would be lost at reboot.
con: you have to think of every needed setup change and save the change manually or it will be lost.

Same with listing pros and cons on other possible approaches in saving settings to the users likes - or needs: e.g. essential setup tweak to get a wifi card running.

[Nick_Levinson]

Some generalizations:

Who would be the main audience? people new to Porteus but moderately familiar with Linux? or people not familiar with Linux but maybe with Windows? or people not familiar with any operating system because they're just using a computer? Someone who sells Linux computers said he gets customer service calls from people wanting to know how to turn the power on.

I sympathize with wanting RTM/RTFM but people refuse to read stuff and insist on going right to the good stuff, a strategy that works often enough in life. One argument is that a manual is a list of what's wrong, because the system should have been designed to be intuitive in the first place.

If Proteus ships with a wall of text as the welcome, the wall will be considered annoying and dismissed. Maybe have almost nothing there but with a button to access more.

Use common user interface methods: e.g., at the bottom a checkbox for "Don't show this message again." (or whatever wording other OSes and apps use). No cheat code is needed for that.

Giving passwords once is necessary for a live disc. You have passwords for a reason, so repeating either one needs a strong justification.

For new features when a new version arrives, make a button for that. LibreOffice gives me that when I start a new version, like 7.0 or 6.4. It has a sky-blue stripe at the top of a document and it asks if I'd like to know what's new.

The way to handle deciding not to have the new features if they are to be rejected en masse is to roll back the upgrade, which might mean installing as clean from an older disc. It gets too complicated to have a feature for rolling back all the features. However, some particular features could have a disablement option. Like, if I don't want a word processor to do a grammar check and scatter squiggly lines all over when they're probably not useful, I should be able to turn that off. But a general turn-off for all new features adds more programming than it's worth.

[francois]

the targe audience
You have a good point here. And this will help us defining the content. Those really familiar with porteus or linux usually will appreciate the product and will use the forum or discuss with the dev which have been very open to amelioration.

wall of text... ...a button to access more
Not at all, on the contrary as simple and as intuitive as possible. Maybe hyperlinks with keywords only. And only essentials.

a checkbox for "Don't show this message again.
This is the simplest way to go with it. Good idea.

You have passwords for a reason, so repeating either one needs a strong justification.
This one, I do not get it really. Could you explain further.

new features when a new version arrives, make a button for that. LibreOffice...
Good idea. Personally, I would go for this.

The way to handle deciding not to have the new features
Here I imagine that you are alluding to the dev creativity. Is it? This could be touchy. Another way to get involved in the final product is to work with them on release candidate.
Porteus 5.0 RC2 bug reports
Porteus had been very opened thru the years to bonification by the users. If I am erring please clarify. Can you give more example of what you are talking about.

I would have like to find past threads on the topic, but traditionally, once a new version of porteus is almoste ready, the leading dev (fanthom, brokenman) have asked the community for what type of features or packages the users would be pleased to have. Maybe they can take position on that.

Lets see what the other members thoughts and propositions about what you propose.

[Ed_P]

I agree with Nick too. Short and simple.

1.Passwords - needed to perform certain update steps.
Admin - toor
Guest - guest

2. How to connect to the Internet

3. How to get a Browser
Menu -> Internet -> Browser Selection app

4. How to save changes

5. Help - https://forum.porteus.org

A sentence or 2 for numbers 2 and 4.