One thing that I was thinking about as I was setting up samba again is that it's nice to have a GUI when you are not familiar with something. And that's why I think until there is more support for linux users actually using just the GUI, it will never beat Windows.
The "typical" windows user doesn't even know how to set up their network card, so why would they switch to linux? I don't even remember when the last time I saw a Windows tutorial that said "Okay, now open a DOS prompt and...". But you're hard pressed to find a linux tutorial where at some point they don't open up a terminal and su to root.
So, along those lines I'll shortly do a writeup for how to setup samba from the lessons that I have learned. I think that it's really easy now, but I didn't before. It's pretty easy when you use the GUI too...
The only trouble with this is that there really isn't a "standard" linux version. The tutorials that are out there work because if you do them below the GUI it's going to be the same. Not true with so many distro's, install options, and desktops like KDE or Gnome. So, at best I think that my writeup will help 25% of the people that read it, but it may push the others in the right direction. And until there is more help out there for non-command line junkies, we're all going to be using Windows for a while yet.
The thing is, is that because there are so many different distros out there, the only way you can be sure to be doing it right it to go the command line way. If someone asks why samba isn't working, the usual answer is , go edit /etc/smb.conf because that is where the settings are. If they wanted to do the GUI explanation, it would only work for certain distros, or desktops, or what have you. I think it's better to give an explanation that everyone can use, rather than one that only helps a small number of users.
ReplyDeleteBut Kibbee, that was my whole point. I must not have been clear...
ReplyDeleteYes, if you write the command line instructions it will work for everyone. But people who are used to using a GUI for everything will not be comfortable with it and not make the switch to Linux.
Since there are no people using the GUI, it will not be improved and fixed. Since the GUI isn't being improved and fixed, no one will use it. So the only people still using Linux will be the command line freaks and everyone will be stuck with windows!
If there will become a need for the GUI admin modules to converge, I think that they will. Needing to have people adopt linux for it to be successful could be what drives that change.