InstallFest menu - I need feedback

Bart Garst wrote:
> On Mon, 2003-09-29 at 22:18, Craig White wrote:
>>Almost all of the distros have their own tools for setup & maintenance
>>and whichever distro the user walks away with, he should be directed to
>>those tools first and foremost - let's not confuse them with this and
>>that utility because it strikes someone as cool.
>
> This, on the other hand, is feedback that I can use. Does anyone else
> feel this way about Webmin?

A great deal of discussion was had about having an "official" or
preferred distro. Now we should enter a discussion about an "official"
or preferred admin tool? There is even more to choose from there!

I don't think Webmin is the answer here, because:

1. It us run through the browser, even for adminitrating your local box.
Have you tried to discuss with a newbie the fact that they are seeing
a web site served from the box they are actually on? I have been
through this several times and even had to kill Webmin for one user
because they were absolutly convinced that if they were using the web
browser, they must be on the internet and they did not want thier
computer settings available on the internet. For this reason, I don't
recommend Webmin for the non-computer literate. It would not be bad for
someone who understands what they are seeing, like an experienced
Windows admin.

2. I think the admin tools provided by desktop environment are the ones
that should be used. If they have KDE, use those tools. If GNOME, use
what it provides. If they installed Red Hat, use the tools it provides.
The user needs to understand something as a base line before he begins
to explore all the other choices out there. To begin with, the one
thing to understand should be very well integrated with all the rest of
the environment.

Personally, I love Webmin. Slap it on every box I set up so I can admin
quickly either local or across the network. But I really don't want to
have Joe or Jane DesktopUser wondering what this here Postfix icon does.

My $0.02, if it is worth that.

Alan