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Easy LXDE is a project launched in 2009 for making a distribution of Linux which is easy, especially for the new user. Key design aims are: Easy LXDE is a [[DebianPureBlends]] project launched in 2009 for making a distribution of Linux which is easy, especially for the new user. Key design aims are:
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 * There are Linux distros which are designed to be easy to install and use (but these may give stability or bloat problems for some users, like Ubuntu, or be very restrictive, like PCLinuxOS); lightweight and fast, but these are generally not for newbies; stable, like Debian or Fedora, but these are also not for newbies, at least in setting up and configuring/maintaining. There were no distros which combined ease-of-use and full set of features with stability and speed.
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This project will be presented by Debian/LXDE developer Andrew Lee at [[http://debconf9.debconf.org|DebConf9]] (Spain, July 23 to 30, 2009). It is hoped that the first version will be ready by the end of the conference or soon after. This project will be worked on by Debian/LXDE developer Andrew Lee and other developers at [[http://debconf9.debconf.org|DebConf9]] (Spain, July 23 to 30, 2009). It is hoped that the first version will be ready by the end of the conference or soon after.
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Packages and clear instructions will be linked from here as soon as they are available. Not available yet (watch this space).

Easy LXDE is a DebianPureBlends project launched in 2009 for making a distribution of Linux which is easy, especially for the new user. Key design aims are:

  • Ease of installation and setup. The system should work on installation, rather than needing extensive configuration.
  • Ease of use, especially for first-time users.
  • Features which will be familiar and easy to use for users familiar with other operating systems (except where there is a compelling reason to do things differently).
  • Stability
  • A full range of software packages.
  • Good performance.

Secondary design aims include:

  • Easy to customize - enabling more advanced users to adapt the system to their needs.
  • Very clear documentation.

Strategy

The strategy is to use:

  • DebianStable

  • Backports to provide access to the latest programs.

  • Additional ?repositories enabled by default, for popular non-free packages that many new users consider essential.

  • LXDE as a lightweight, easy-to-use, easy-to-configure, modular desktop.

Background

The motivation for this project include these observations:

  • Many users who are not coders are unwilling to invest the initial effort in changing to Linux.
  • These users sometimes say that the time spent on learning and configuring Linux takes away from their actual work and makes them less productive.
  • While it may or may not be true that Linux is as easy to use as (say) Windows, the Linux user is less likely to have support through acquaintances who know Linux. For the experience of installing Linux for the first time to be comparable to installing Windows or starting to use a Mac, the Linux installation has to be extremely smooth and intuitive.
  • These factors lead to the ironies such as representatives of open source foundations using non-free operating systems
  • If making non-free software (including drivers, and popular programs such as Skype) difficult to install for a newbie leads to frustration, it may contribute to these users giving up on free software.
  • In an ?ICT4D context (ICT for Development), support is often lacking, and the emphasis is often on introducing computers to children who have never seen them before.

  • In ?ICT4D and education contexts, sellers of proprietary systems can be quite aggressive in promoting their systems, and one of their selling points is their claim that their systems are easier to use.

Status

This project will be worked on by Debian/LXDE developer Andrew Lee and other developers at DebConf9 (Spain, July 23 to 30, 2009). It is hoped that the first version will be ready by the end of the conference or soon after.

Downloads

Not available yet (watch this space).

Contact

  • Andrew Lee: (his first name) at linux dot org dot tw
  • A mailing list will be set up later.

License

Pages related to the EasyLXDE project are dual-licensed under CC-BY-SA-3.0 (unported) and the GPL. (The GPL is used to ensure that documentation can be used for commenting code if necessary, and also to ensure that all images come with the "source" code, e.g. the .xcf or .psd file.)