Why is no manual for newbies etc put on the desktop of ubuntu

Asked by simonball

Good morning,

I am still seeing bug no.1 predominantly everywhere i go!
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1

No-one i know who is not in the computer industry
has heard of linux or ubuntu, nor do they know of how
to burn discs so they can get hold of ubuntu or other flavours.

Is it possible to:
a:) Put instructions on how to burn a linux disc at the beginning of the instructions and let users know they are free to pass the operating system to friends and colleagues.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto#Burning_from_Windows
b:) Put the instruction manual on the desktop of every install of ubuntu - so the user can easily find help and advice.
http://ubuntu-manual.org/

Ubuntu is great, we just need to get it onto more peoples computers either using virtualization
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11287/how-to-run-ubuntu-in-windows-7-with-vmware-player/
or by helping the user to buy a computer with no operating system installed.

Kind regards
Simon Ball

PS. I have heard no-one say they did not like ubuntu when they had it installed.
They are amazed at its speed!

bug no #1
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1

Microsoft has a majority market share in the new desktop PC marketplace. This is a bug which Ubuntu and other projects are meant to fix. As the philosophy of the Ubuntu Project states, "Our work is driven by a belief that software should be free and accessible to all."

"Ubuntu software is free. Always was, always will be. Free software gives everyone the freedom to use it however they want and share with whoever they like. This freedom has huge benefits. At one end of the spectrum it enables the Ubuntu community to grow and share its collective experience and expertise to continually improve all things Ubuntu. At the other, we are able to give access to essential software for those who couldn’t otherwise afford it – an advantage that’s keenly felt by individuals and organisations all over the world."
     * http://www.ubuntu.com/project/about-ubuntu/our-philosophy

Non-free software leaves users at the mercy of the software owner and concentrates control over the technology which powers our society into the hands of a few. Additionally, proprietary software stifles innovation, maintains artificial scarcities, and enables malicious anti-features such as DRM, surveillance, and other monopolistic practices.

This bug is widely evident in the PC industry.

Steps to repeat:

    1. Visit a local PC store.
    2. Attempt to buy a machine without any proprietary software.

What happens:

Almost always, a majority of PCs for sale have Microsoft Windows pre-installed. In the rare cases that they come with a GNU/Linux operating system or no operating system at all, the drivers and BIOS may be proprietary.

What should happen:

A majority of the PCs for sale should include only free software.

     * http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
     * http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines
     * http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu Manual Edit question
Assignee:
Kevin Godby Edit question
Solved by:
simonball
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Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Kevin Godby (godbyk) said :
#1

Hello, Simon.

You raised two issues:

(1) Providing instructions for new Ubuntu users to burn Ubuntu to a DVD so they can start installing it, and
(2) Provide easy access to Ubuntu documentation for new users.

To address (1), from the Ubuntu download page there is a link to the installation instructions <http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/install-desktop-latest>. This page provides links (down the righthand side) for steps on burning Ubuntu to a DVD using Windows, Mac OS X, and Ubuntu.

As for (2), Ubuntu currently ships with its official documentation preinstalled. You can find this documentation by opening the Dash and typing 'help'. This documentation is maintained by the ubuntu-docs team and is separate from the work of the Ubuntu Manual Project.

The Ubuntu Manual Project aims to provide a short getting started guide for new Ubuntu users. This guide is provided in printed form (you can purchase a copy via <http://ubuntu-manual.org/buy/gswu1304/en_US>) and as a downloadable PDF (via <http://ubuntu-manual.org//download/13.04/en_US/screen>) that may be printed at home.

The Ubuntu Manual Project is not currently providing an Ubuntu package to install the PDF, nor is it included in the default installation. We are, however, exploring both options for the future.

Thanks for writing and please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns.

—Kevin Godby

Revision history for this message
simonball (simon-ball3) said :
#2

Hi kevin,

Many thanks for the explanation.

Kind regards
Simon