On Saturday 26 January 2002 8:49 am, you wrote: have installed and used both Elx and Lycoris. > > I am using Lycoris Desktop/LX now and find it the most "ergonomic" > > desktop version of Linux to date. > > Sorry, but that's irrelevant. If you get the .config files from your > fooBar distro and copy them onto RedHat/Mandrake/Debian, you should get > the same "ergonomy". It's not irrelevant because the other distros do not include these .config files and new users generally would have no knowledge of "copying" them to others like RedHat/Mandrake/Debian. I may be wrong, but I doubt the entire "ergonomic" feel of a distro is based solely on .config files. For example Lycoris has the following features which make it easy to use: 1. The default menu layout is "function based" ie. Internet, Music & Movies, Pictures & Photos, Productivity, System Management, Development etc... 2. I updated my entire distro online from version 43 to 44 using the Update Wizard without any problems. 3. It includes a My Linux System folder ala Windows My Computer and a Network Browser similar to a Network Neighborhood. No configuration is generally necessary. I was able to browse and share files with my Windows box by simply "clicking" my way though the "Network". 4. Applications are not duplicated. There isn't 3 different browsers, 4 email clients, 5 editors , etc... One popular application is installed to perform each task, however others are included on the cds. 5. All the config tools are built into the KDE Control Center. No seperate config gui to worry about. 6. Xine, xmms, aKtion, Real Player, gphoto, and Kooka are all installed and layed out nicely within the menus. 7. Java and Flash are installed and configured for Konqueror and Mozilla. 8. There is an automount feature for removable media. Inserting an audio cd will either bring up the correct app or automatically begin playing. ...there are more. I realize these features could be added to any distro. I'm not trying to say Lycoris is so much better than the others. I would like to get your opinion on whether you think these features will make it into other distros. Are they required to gain more users? It would seem so IMHO. >>Although I am slowly learing the command line, I have yet to > > need it using the Lycoris distro. And in my opinion...thats a good > > thing. > Mousing around is cool, but if you do some serious work, you will need a > text editor like vim/emacs. And then you'll discover that there is no > space on the screen to expose all their functionality in menus. And then > you will undestand why you need a command line. I agree the command line is very important and powerful. It needs to be included. But I don't see many Windows users going back to the command line often and I can accomplish "serious" work without it or vim/emacs. Maybe not Admin type requirements, but at least serious enough to meet my needs. Many Linux publications have commented that Linux will not gain popularity without minimizing the reliance on the command line. I doubt they are wrong in this respect. Thanks for your comments Florin.