Linux Desktop Support in the future

[pbpersson]

Okay, everyone here is running Mandrake and everyone here wants Linux to take over the desktop and become THE desktop OS across the world.

 

Let's just say that the year is 2010 and our dream has come true - Linux is now the desktop OS that everyone is using.

 

Now, in the KDE control panel there are tons of places where you can modify and customize your desktop. I think I could spend an entire year of my free time finding all the dozens of ways I could make my desktop look different. The combinations are seemingly endless.

 

Then in Linux we also have tons and tons of different applications that can be used for different purposes. In Windows you can pretty much know when a customer calls in what their desktop looks like and if they just unpacked their Dell computer what their web browser and email package is.

 

Let's say you are a Dell desktop phone support person in 2010 and someone calls in with a question on their new Dell computer pre-loaded with Mandrake. They are on the other side of a Linksys router so you cannot remote into their machine:

 

"Yes, I started up this here new Dell PC and then I reconfigured my KDE desktop so it looks totally different but I don't know what I did and then I went to something called RPM and installed all this cool-sounding software but I don't remember what it was and rebooted but now my whole computer looks funny. I have these red, blue, and green lines on the top of the screen and I don't know what they mean. Make them go away!"

 

Can you imagine such a scenario? Has anyone had any blind over-the-phone experiences like this yet?

 

 

Phil

[VeeDubb]

I build and sell a couple of computers each year. There's no profit with as little volume as I deal in, but it's fun. Since I'm too nice for my own good a lot of the time, I offer a year of tech support to 'most' customers.

 

I have just that EXACT experience, with WindowsXP. Customized desktop, Installed this cool program from some website that was suposed to do something, but I forget what, and now my computer turns itself on every night, and my mouse stopped working.

 

No matter what system a computer is running, people can screw it up.

[Ixthusdan]

Trouble shooting any computer system requires familiarity, and not just a flow chart. The current trend in tech suppoprt of flow charting is really lame. How many stories do you want to hear about windows tech support? I mean from Redmond? Yes, they have flow chart people who know nothing about computers!!

 

I trouble shoot anything I am familiar with, for anyone willing to hire me. I make most of my money from windows. B)

[scarecrow]

Not interested here seeing Linux konquering the desktop: Every script kiddie will run after OS vulnerabilities.

For me it just works, it is free, I miss nothing from Windows, and I don't care if my neighbour will jump on the train or not. If he likes to pay Gates for bugs, then I am the last person on earth that will prevent him doing so.

[aRTee]

Scarecrow, if all Linux users would think like you, you would never have had this nicely working system. KDE, GNOME and other developers luckily want more than just their own system under control.

 

Next thing up: palladium plus tcpa.

 

How much is your computer worth if you can't connect to the internet anymore...? But anyway, that's not the discussion...

I just wanted to indicate that I take issue with the IMHO shortsighted view that it's ok as things are.

If others don't care about freedom, I have to care doubly about it.

If we are free today (as far as we actually are), it's because someone cared, not because everybody didn't care.

We are in a fight about our digital freedom, and Linux and Free Software (Open Source software too) play an instrumental role - they guarantee independence.

 

On a side note, the script kiddie thing: it's not going to happen, not like with Windows, even if Linux has a similar marketshare, even if half of that is held by Linspire. No time or desire to explain, but for fun, think back of this comment when the day comes that Linux holds 40+ percent of the desktop (2008? 2012? I don't know)....

 

 

Ok sorry about that intermezzo guys. Oh, and scarecrow, don't take it personally, I do see your point, and partially share it; the point is, most just really don't know any better, and to many, you just can't say: switch to Linux.

Which brings us to this support issue: people need some form of support. But frankly, I don't know anyone who has managed to do anything with phone support from MS...

 

I do know the situation from my father in law - using mostly win98(se), he'd call me and go: how do I do this or that.

Usually, things are easier to fix by waiting until my wife and I go by and I fix it right there.

And I might add that he's not a computer illiterate person either...

 

The real support will have to work the same way it currently works for MSWin: you have colleagues around you at work who know, neighbours and/or their kids who can show you, etcetc.

 

I learnt nothing about Win or Lin from helplines, and I practically always managed. This is one of the reasons why I have a very strong dislike for Windows - you can figure out how to do certain things, but it remains a black box, you're never in control and you never know why....

[aioshin]

Linux Desktop support in the future, I think only time will tell, if linux will be a free os forever, then support will be always there, though there will be paid and free.. Onsite support for linux will depend on the support provider, online support, i think will be there as long as We, who log on this site still using linux as desktop.... so as long as people online who have a better understanding on linux, may it be desktop or server continue to share their Ideas voluntarilly thru forum, irc, or email, support is not a problem.

btw .. Using linux by an individual is voluntary, nobody forces any to use it,...