[linux-audio-user] Re: Is the Linux desktop really here?

[Anthony DiSante]

Dave Phillips wrote:
> tim hall wrote:
> 
>> PS: Watching my nine-year old and various friends use my system, I'd 
>> say the Linux Desktop for casual users is here, given the availability 
>> of technical support. IMX it's the configuration that is difficult, 
>> not the installation & usage.
>>  
>>
> Hi Tim:
> 
>  A few days ago I wrote to the list and recounted a story about setting 
> up a Windows 2000 system for some
> very non-computer-savvy friends of mine. Well, that saga knows no end: I 
> had to go to their house yesterday
> and get it going for them again. It's true that they are *really* in the 
> dark about their machine, but it's got so
> ridiculous that I've decided on a new plan. I'm going to set up a Linux 
> box for them and see how they do with it.
> These people do very little else but use a Web browser (what they call 
> "the computer") so I want to see just how
> hard or easy it would be for them to use a modern Linux system. It'll be 
> an interesting experiment, and if I have to deal
> with the system at least it will be a real OS with real tools and the 
> real possibility of actually fixing it if it breaks.
> Win2K is nice, but what a vacant system ! I can't believe people have 
> paid so much and received so little in return
> for their money.
> 
>  Anyway, if this experiment works I'll report back to this group. The 
> folks using this box aren't music/sound people,
> but I do plan on setting up XMMS, RealPlayer, and possibly xine or 
> Mplayer for on-line video feeds. Let me know if
> you have any suggestions for making it as easy as possible for them to use.

Also, the Helix player is a browser plugin that I use; from what I can tell, 
it looks like it's set to be the next version of RealPlayer (made by the 
same people, plays the same formats).  Except instead of the 
linux-functionality being an afterthought, as with the original RealPlayer, 
this time it's designed for linux.  Anyway it's at:

http://player.helixcommunity.org/

I'm using the Dec 5th nightly build and it works fine.  I just had to make 
one change to the hxplay script (hard-code the path to hxplay.bin at the top 
of it); other than that, it installed and works without a hitch.

-Anthony
http://nodivisions.com/