Ideas for a "Quick Start" document

[fehlix]

I like this idea too, but with synapse, I just tape "mx" keys and I have " mx-welcome" first (mx-accueil in french): , and all others mx-references, mx-manual , etc...

Code: Select all

mx-boot-options       mx-findshares         mx-packageinstaller   mx-snapshot           mx-tweak
mx-bootrepair         mx-live-usb-maker     mx-paste              mx-switchuser         mx-usb-unmounter
....

Note sure, wheher this is a good way of starting applications. I would rather recommend to stick with the provided starter available through the menu. E.g., just type "mx" within the whiskyer menu, and all "mx" applications starter are shown.
Reason: some applictions needs to be started as intended and provided within the menu-desktop-starter, e.g. some need special start-commands to get proper environment and privileges.

[oops]

...
1-) Note sure, wheher this is a good way of starting applications. I would rather recommend to stick with the provided starter available through the menu. E.g.,

2-) just type "mx" within the whiskyer menu, and all "mx" applications starter are shown.
Reason: some applictions needs to be started as intended and provided within the menu-desktop-starter, e.g. some need special start-commands to get proper environment and privileges.

For 1-) The result is graphic (see picture) and you can use the mouse scroll, etc
For 2-) I did not know until now ;-)

[PPC]

Hi again,
I don't know if this is the correct thread to say this, but I recently did try (and managed) to add Google Drive as a mountable drive to my file explorer. I've always used the web interface, but this was a very good small "trick" to speed up the process of backing up some stuff to the web. It's not a "linux Google drive client"- for me it's better than that, because I don't want to have a copy of a local folder on google's servers, always synching up. I just wanted it to be like a backup thumb drive that I plug in and copy files to when I want. and that's what I got installing and using "gnome-control-center" (and some dependencies and so on...). I haven't tested it but it seems to work with microsoft web storage and a few more...

My point: Does a entry like "Can I use Google Drive on MX-Linux?" seem to be important enough to be in a "quick start" document? Or it would be better to just mention that and refer to a (I belive not yet existent) MX Manual entry...
If there's too much information on the quick start guide, with won't be "quick" to read , but a MX manual entry is always helpfull.
The only "con" is when using a shared computer, everyone else will have access to your Gdrive without having to enter a password...

EDIT- and I just now found out about odrive (a google drive client with a appimage version. How did this escape me googling about a google drive linux client for so long? Anyway, I already got my GDrive available...

P.

[KernSpy]

Some kind of cheat-chart / graphic guide with cool tips & tricks, quick reference, pointers and good practices. The most important stuff from the FAQs, tips & tricks, wiki and manual. Could be made into a wallpaper / background. Just a thought ...

[KoO]

What about having a start menu like deepin has on the right hand side of the screen. That scrolls threw a categorized menu from top to bottom instead of the same old windows start menu. Tip and trick could be one of category's. Yep this is not quite what you are asking i know. I just think that Linux does not have to look a windows a desktop to be functional.

[Jerry3904]

Thanks. We ran out of time (and personnel) for this whole set of interesting ideas.

We do now have a good FAQ set linked off the top of the new Welcome screen--have a read through and see if something common comes to mind that could be added.

[Captain Brillo]

I have recently learned how to:

-connect to my VPN server at startup, disable any other communication, and shut down IPv6

This involves simple ufw rules that obviate the need for any kind of kill switch. The details are all here: https://www.linuxquestions.org/question ... 175645618/, and you could see about including as a set-up option.

I have this box set up that way, as per my thread viewtopic.php?f=104&t=47748

The only issue I concern myself with now is browser fingerprinting - and I have ideas about that.

[rs55]

There are two areas which newbies probably struggle with ( I did!):

A. Getting the right permissions set on USB drives and internal/external ssd. The permissions vary depending on the file-format ( FAT32, NTFS, EXT4 - each have different permissions). Some need an entry in /etc/fstab( like internal second ssd/hdd). Some dont ( like USB sticks). A clear paragraph on exactly what to do about all this would be great.
Also - I had to set sysctl : vm.dirty_bytes = 200 MB and vm.dirty_background_bytes =100MB to get USB sticks working satisfactorily ( I wonder if these are better defaults than the 20%/10% that is the current default: which in my 16GB machines is way too big and results in a very long wait to eject a usb stick after it says it is done copying).

B. Live -USB-Maker: Need to inform new users to select "persist_static" and allow the creation of rootfs and homefs. Then allow the saving of /home into homefs . ( I actually think this should all happen by default - allowing users to customize it later through MX tools - if they want to load rootfs into ram etc.).

A third ( somewhat minor observation) has to do with MX Tweak. I found it confusing that it offered "Theme Options" that over-ride the options in "Appearance"(theme, Icon) and Window Manager. Is this really necessary?

[skidoo]

had to set sysctl : vm.dirty_bytes = 200 MB and vm.dirty_background_bytes =100MB to get USB sticks working satisfactorily ( I wonder if these are better defaults than the 20%/10% that is the current default: which in my 16GB machines is way too big and results in a very long wait to eject a usb stick after it says it is done copying).

I agree, that's a good point. FWIW, the live-remaster and live-usb-maker tools check//change the dirty_bytes and dirty_ratio during each run (restoring the as-found original values before they exit).

A related consideration: FAT32 drives and presence or absence of sync mount option and... /etc/fstab

Need to inform new users to select "persist_static" and allow the creation of rootfs and homefs. Then allow the saving of /home into homefs . ( I actually think this should all happen by default - allowing users to customize it later through MX tools - if they want to load rootfs into ram etc.).

You've already promoted this idea (static + homefs should be default) in a recent topic and I've already respectfully disagreed (and spent a few lines explaining why so).

New thoughts to mention here:

+ Yes, it will be a real bummer to a user EXPECTING (presuming) persistence is pre-enabled during first-run... when s/he discovers that all those happy tweaks performed during firstrun session will not be saved.

- Yes, it will be a real bummer (only get ONE chance to make a first impression)
if static-persist-constrained r/w operations turn away new users because of the comparatively dogacid-slow user experience.

[Don_in_Vermont]

One of the first things I had to check on was how to add user!