Examination of a Linux Gui, w/color commentary

[Jeff Kinz]

On Fri, Feb 27, 2004 at 10:32:04AM -0500, Mark Komarinski wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 27, 2004 at 09:47:23AM -0500, Jeff Kinz wrote:
> > He is correct about the difficulty his "Aunt Tilly" would have 
> > trying to use the existing printer over the small network were correct
> > (Using that interface).
>  
> In this case, it's irrelevant.  It's the server that should be configured
> properly.  The client will pick up on it.

hmm - I'm not sure Aunt Tilly can configure the server by herself yet,
and yet clearly a home LAN would need one.  Does it come up by itself?

> > In the meantime - Does KDEprint show the user a list of the printers
> > available on the network so that user's can select the one they are
> > trying to use?
>  
> If CUPS knows about the printer, then yes.
And that requires that someone set up a CUPS server?

> Having each client probe each other machine for every protocol and
> offering it has is just way too chatty.

I saw this type of prob occurring in the 1980's (on SUN networks).
N objects * K protocols raised to N-1 power is a hell of a lot of
traffic on any network.  Clearly We are more intelligent about how to
do this today.  Especially given how much competition there is in the
managed network space.

I have seen this type of thing be done in an intelligent and efficient
fashion.  I prefer the multi-cast model myself - 1 broadcast, goes out
across the corporate network, and is received by everyone that needs to
know about it. (Now we're down to n*k xmits. :) ) 

> > (I'm aware that ESR is sometimes considered to be a sort of P.T. Barnum
> > of the Linux world. Thats OK because it does result in more non-Linux
> > people becoming aware that there is an alternative to Windows.)
> 
> But if all he's doing is (wrongly IMO) complaining about the UI, it
> doesn't really help.


Yah, but thats not all he's doing.  Take a look at this example, it was
well done.  He gives these prudential folks a lot of info and does a good
job clearing up some misconceptions they have

http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/prudential.html



-- 
Jeff Kinz, Open-PC, Emergent Research,  Hudson, MA.  
"jkinz at kinz.org" is copyright 2003.  
Use is restricted. Any use is an acceptance of the offer at
http://www.kinz.org/policy.html.