mint is really great, BUT...............

[trippboxer]

i am new to linux so therefore some of you are going to dismiss me as a noob. but fact is i am really wanting to get into linux bad. the problems that i am having with linux, all distros, is that i can never get my wireless internet to work right off hand. when i do research on it i find that there is more code typing than anything else in regards to fixing the problem.

now linux is an excellent system. i like it because of the speed, freedom, and stability. right now linux, most distros, are on the verge of greatness. the only thing that stands in the way of mainstream usage for the mindless microsoft users is simplicity of use. there are only two programs that would be necessary to allow more people to migrate away from the tyranny of microsoft and i am surprised that no one has made them. and if they have then i am mistaken. here are the programs that need to be in circulation with all distros.

1. a software installation program that scans the software, finds out what kind of software it is (deb or rpm or anything else) and easily installs it in a simplistic way using a GUI.

2. a wireless program that automatically detects hardware and engages it and automatically searches for and connects to any wireless internet point in range. (microsoft already has this, and so it stands to reason that linux should also)

please understand that i am not complaining about this distro or any other. it's just that when i build a computer for people i would like to give them a great system with linux (especially linux mint) and have them do all of the set up. most people now days have lost the ability to compile, type code, and do numerous other tasks that most linux users take for granted. and since linux is constantly changing there is a lot of learning in between. the average microsoft user will continue to use microsoft due to their unwillingness to learn how to do basic programming. todays user only has the ability to point and click. therefore those two programs that need to be made available to all linux distros need to be created.

thanks for listening,
trippboxer

[Aero]

1. a software installation program that scans the software, finds out what kind of software it is (deb or rpm or anything else) and easily installs it in a simplistic way using a GUI.

Add or Remove programs in Ubuntu or Synaptic.

2. a wireless program that automatically detects hardware and engages it

Almost impossible really, but people are working on this (don't expect it to be perfect as not even Windows can do that).

and automatically searches for and connects to any wireless internet point in range.

Take a look at Network Manager. It's still in beta, but shows great promise.

Don't worry. Keep asking questions. We're here to help.

[clem]

Network Manager is installed by default on Bea.

[Frijolie]

I completely agree with the idea of having network-manager installed by default. I'm currently running Barbara and the addition of network-manager to Bea would have been a great help for a Linux newbie like myself.

This was formerly my primary complaint during the switch from Windows to <del>Linux Mint</del> Linux, I had the hardest time getting my wifi connection to work.

I have a Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG card and use WPA+PSK 128bit encryption and couldn't (past tense thankfully) for the life of me get it to work. I guess it wouldn't have been as bad if I were using WEP encryption but, it took me hours of googling and forum posting to finally get an answer. I guess it had something to do with a wpasupplicant file and the absence of the network-manager installed.

installing the network-manager by default is a great idea, keep trudging along and adding such necessary programs as the network-manager. I've also heard good things about gtkwifi. Any comments on this app?

[manishk]

Setting up a wireless card wouldnt have been so difficult if those companies came out with drivers for linux!!