Ron via Talk said on Fri, 22 May 2026 02:02:12 -0700
Steve Litt via Talk wrote on 2026-05-20 22:21:
attract people who probably won't use Linux anyway, and if they tried, are unwilling to edit a file or use Google.
This thread reminds me of a recent one on another list (which Steve participated in): a guy wanted to buy a laptop, install Mint, and give it to someone with zero Unix experience.
His question to the list was, what books should he include:
* Sed & AWK? * Vi & Vim? * Emacs? * Korn shell scripting? * ...
Plus:
I'm afraid I am going to insist that she learn Vim.
Just so we're all on the same page, somebody other than me (initials JD) said "I'm afraid I am going to insist that she learn Vim." Given Ron's next paragraph, which I include in the quoted text at the end of my email, makes it ambiguous to me whether Ron realizes this or not. I was the one who suggested postponing learning and use of Vim until the new user was more experienced with Linux, and the "I'm afraid I am going to insist" was a reply to my suggestion.
So, turns out the recipient was not nerdy in the slightest. Saw a university semester's reading list, an insistence on learning some inscrutable text editor, and declined the new Linux laptop entirely.
SteveT Steve Litt http://444domains.com