xwindows

[Cecil H. Whitley]

Hi,
Unfortunately for us all, there is already such a system.  It's called
xwindows/gnome and/or kde and/or windows maker.  The gui is the sighted
world's menuing system.  It keeps the user from having to remember commands.
They can simply mouse around (with tool tips and the like) until they find
what they think they are looking for.  With context sensative help, etc, a
text based menuing system just won't have the market.

At Cherry Point we had a dos based menuing system prior to windows 3.x.  It
was replaced by windows 3.x.  After all selecting a menu item is just one
step away from clicking on an icon.  A text based menuing system is too
restrictive for the power user and isn't expandable by the novice (after
all, they have to know the commands to put in the menu in the first place).
We used it as a mechanism to exert centralized control prior to windows.
After windows we just simply locked down the gui.

I agree that it would simplify things (and at this point that would be a
great help to me) but I also believe that the market segment it would appeal
to is very small (same old story).  If I had programming time to devote to
something, it certainly would not be that.

Regards,

Cecil
----- Original Message -----
From: "Octavian Rasnita" <orasnita at home.ro>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 9:04 PM
Subject: Re: xwindows


> But a good idea would be something like Norton Commander for DOS which has
a
> command line.
> If someone knows the command line parameters, they can use it, but if they
> don't know, they can choose from a lot of menus.
>
> A good idea would be a  kind of menus that can be easily changed without
> programming.
> For example, it would be nice to be able to go to the menu, choose the
> commands menu/shell submenu, then from there choose "Print HTTPD.conf
file"
>
> This would be more simple than typing cat /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf for
> some users because they don't need to remember all that path.
> Of course, it was just an example, but there are a lot more complicated
> command lines.
>
> And that menuing system, should accept me to go to "Configure menu"
submenu,
> and there to be able to define other menus and submenus with the command
> lines I want.
> It should have a good "find files"  feature that has options  that can be
> checked, or advanced options like Regular expressions.
>
> This way, or the graphical interface, it is absolutely necessary for Linux
> to beat Windows.
>
> But yes, of course, somebody should make that program, but for free...
> nobody  jumps.
>
> I am a beginner in Linux, and reading the man pages is like reading  some
> comments from a C or Perl code.
> There is no real help in Linux like in Windows.
> In my opinion, the help file is for those who don't know, for beginners,
for
> newbies.
> The man pages  of Linux are kind of reference for advanced users who don't
> remember well the command line parameters, etc.
>
> That menuing program, if it is well done, and sold for a resonable fee
(not
> for free) would help many new Linux users.
>
> Those new Linux users may want  to pay  for some nice programs that don't
> cost as much as the Windows ones, and this way, the Linux community will
> increase, and a lot of programmers will think to start learning
programming
> under Linux.
>
> A system as Linux now, will remain only for advanced users, system
> administrators, web space providers, and not for the large public.
> The problem is that someone should start this for free, because, those
Linux
> advanced users won't pay for such a software.
> They will use the command line  because they know how.
>
> But making that software, or (for blind users)  making the graphical
> interface accessible for us, will be profitable even they will start
> creating it for free or for a very low cost.
>
>
> Teddy,
> orasnita at home.ro
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at afb.net>
> To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 6:09 PM
> Subject: Re: xwindows
>
>
> Charlie:
>
> Well, there's absolutely nothing stopping someone from writing
> such a menuing system!
>
> hint hint hint
>
> Getting people to use it instead of the command line? Well,
> that's another story.
>
> Here's what I think will happen. Some peopl will chose it because
> it seems to make life simple. Then they'll want to do something
> the menus don't support. Then the author gets mail saying "why
> doesn't your menu ..." Then were are you?
>
> Back at the command line?
>
> Hopefully. Because the alternative, a fully capable menuing
> system, is far worse.
>
> Just goes to say there's no substitute for learning.
>
> On Mon, 13 May 2002, Charles Crawford wrote:
>
> > Jim,
> >
> >          There is access not far off.  I would like to see a menuing
> system
> > for Linix text mode that would reduce the criptic command line having to
> > remember all those commands and switches.
> >
> > -- charlie Crawford.
> > At 10:12 PM 05/12/2002 -0500, you wrote:
> > >Do you think we will ever have access to the gui?
> > >
> > >I find that I can access things faster in windows then in Linux text
> > >mode.  I will admit that linux works much better then windows or the
> winxp.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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>
> --
>
> Janina Sajka, Director
> Technology Research and Development
> Governmental Relations Group
> American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
>
> Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
>
> Chair, Accessibility SIG
> Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> http://www.openebook.org
>
>
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