Re: A small puzzle.

From	The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
Subject	Re: A small puzzle.
Date	2022-09-03 11:06 +0100
Organization	A little, after lunch
Message-ID	<tev8uj$2ro4c$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<teu5k0$2m0ub$1@dont-email.me> <6312b2b1@news.ausics.net> <teul8i$2pjku$2@dont-email.me>

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On 03/09/2022 05:30, Bobbie Sellers wrote:
> On 9/2/22 18:49, Computer Nerd Kev wrote:
>> The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>> I had installed Linux Mint  on a not very computer literate  friends
>>> computer in order primarily to access his bank and investment portfolio
>>> and receive and send email.
>>>
>>> When I fired up his machine yesterday, every single icon on the desktop
>>> had vanished as had his browser and email configurations.
>>>
>>> After a couple of hours when I had recreated it all, I discovered *what*
>>> he had inadvertently done, but I am still not sure *how* he managed to
>>> do it.
>>>
>>> Assume any number of random mouse clicks, scroll events, bad eyesight
>>> and drag and drops you like.
>>>
>>> What do you think he did?
>>
>> Rename, move, or delete his home directory?
>>
>> Or another likely, but easily detectable, cause is running out of
>> space on the partition where /home is. Then programs that
>> automatically save their configurations on each run may
>> delete/truncate the old configuration file before failing to create
>> the new one, ending up with no configuration at all. That's the
>> circumstance that I'm more familiar with.
>>
>>> And how did he do it?
>>
>> Easy to imagine many ways that someone stumbling around a file
>> manager could mess up their home directory. But I wouldn't know if
>> there's some mistake that's particularly easy to make with Mint
>> because I don't use it.
> 
>      I think perhaps one of the new information appliances with overly 
> simplified GUI might be better than a standard computer for this 
> individual who hates gui but cannot run a terminal productively.
> Maybe a tablet with Chrome or Android.  I just spent some time trying
> to find stuff for which I have seen advertisement but no luck.
> 
>      bliss
> 
If there is one thing he, like me, hates more than a GUI, it is a touch 
screen.

MOST of his problems arise because the primary means of control,the 
mouse,  does different things depending on where it is.

A secondary issue is eyesight: If you expand the screen enough to read 
it with poor eyesight, half off the buttons you need top click on, are 
now hidden.

I spent 15 minutes at the side of the road trying to get out of a place 
my android based satnav had gone because i picked up the phone and 
'touched the screen inappropriately'.

What I was hoping, and at least you are suggesting constructive 
alternatives, is that there is a way to set up Linux so as to eliminate 
as many possibilities as can be done.

And establish one single way to get to a limited number of applications.

And freeze application configurations to *eliminate options*.

I.e it would be nice to sort of set up the apps so that only a sysadmin 
could change them.

Teh problem with Linux is that it is just too user configurable. The 
thing about a Mac, is that there is only one way - the Mac way - which 
makes it useful for idiots

-- 
"The great thing about Glasgow is that if there's a nuclear attack it'll 
look exactly the same afterwards."

Billy Connolly

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Thread

A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-03 01:03 +0100
  Re: A small puzzle. "25B.Z969" <25B.Z969@noda.net> - 2022-09-02 20:14 -0400
  Re: A small puzzle. not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2022-09-03 11:49 +1000
    Re: A small puzzle. Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2022-09-02 21:30 -0700
      Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-03 11:06 +0100
        Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-03 13:59 +0200
          Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-03 13:31 +0100
            Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-03 21:59 +0200
              Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-04 10:05 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-04 13:50 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-04 13:19 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-04 22:17 +0200
      Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-03 14:01 +0200
        Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-03 13:34 +0100
          Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-03 22:02 +0200
            Re: A small puzzle. Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2022-09-03 20:25 +0000
              Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-04 10:23 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-04 13:58 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2022-09-05 09:29 +1000
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-05 00:41 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> - 2022-09-05 11:41 +1000
                Re: A small puzzle. "25B.Z969" <25B.Z969@noda.net> - 2022-09-05 00:40 -0400
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-05 06:49 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2022-09-04 23:03 -0700
                Re: A small puzzle. "25B.Z969" <25B.Z969@noda.net> - 2022-09-05 20:00 -0400
                Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-06 12:50 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-06 15:24 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-05 08:28 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-05 10:38 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-05 11:11 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-05 17:54 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-05 17:24 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-05 22:13 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-06 09:04 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2022-09-05 22:27 +0000
                Re: A small puzzle. "25B.Z969" <25B.Z969@noda.net> - 2022-09-05 22:26 -0400
                Re: A small puzzle. "25B.Z969" <25B.Z969@noda.net> - 2022-09-05 19:58 -0400
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-05 06:47 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> - 2022-09-05 17:44 +1000
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-05 09:34 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-05 10:42 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-05 11:15 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-05 18:03 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. Bobbie Sellers <bliss@mouse-potato.com> - 2022-09-05 09:43 -0700
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-05 19:25 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-06 08:12 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-06 09:07 +0100
                Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-05 15:11 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2022-09-06 08:34 +1000
                Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-05 15:22 +0200
            Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-04 10:16 +0100
              Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-04 14:04 +0200
                Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-04 13:26 +0100
              Re: A small puzzle. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2022-09-04 13:23 +0000
    Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-03 10:56 +0100
    Re: A small puzzle. Fritz Wuehler <fritz@spamexpire-202209.rodent.frell.theremailer.net> - 2022-09-04 17:17 +0200
  Re: A small puzzle. Joerg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.ch> - 2022-09-03 09:11 +0200
    Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-03 11:19 +0100
      Re: A small puzzle. Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2022-09-03 16:13 +0000
        Re: A small puzzle. The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2022-09-04 10:04 +0100
          Re: A small puzzle. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2022-09-04 14:06 +0200

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