Pity this issue had to become a long drawn out debate, hopefully something came of it?
It is a pity. More so because the original point was never up for debate. Suggestions made along the way are more viable, however we aren't running a backupathon or a repartitionfest.
The original idea was to make it as easy as possible for someone to make the move to Linux,
Actually, the original point of the installfest is to help people install linux. More to the point, it's to help people who want to learn, to install linux. We cannot act as a free support group for people with no desire to learn about these things themselves. Nor is this a ridiculous position to hold. "Helping new users" does NOT equate to "free technical support for people who want appliances".
but it seems that it is going to remain an exercise for the techno geek.
How does suggesting that people have a separate harddisk for linux limit this to "an exercise for the techno geek" ? How does suggesting that people be responsible for their own backups do that? If people want to go and buy Partition Magic they are more than welcome to. How does that make it "an exercise for the techno geek"?
Also a person might wont to migrate their existing data into Linux, which rules out things like Knoppix as it still requires somewhere to maintain a persistent presence.
While superficially true, this doesn't always apply. Regardless, I'm not sure knoppix was ever suggested as an installfest candidate - it has only ever been suggested as a way of people trying linux out, in lieu of buying a new harddisk or repartitioning their existing one *and installing linux on it*.
Perhaps the other side of the coin is "buy an all in one sub $1000 HP and forget about Linux"
If they already have a computer which they want to install Linux on, why should they buy a new HP computer? If what you are suggesting is true - that if the LUG doesn't hand-hold new users into repartitioning harddisks and installing Linux, then non "techo geeks" won't get Linux installed, then how did the large number of non "techo geeks" that are members of this LUG and who HAVE linux installed already, get there? Can you please stop with this line of negative commentary. It is basically amounting to FUD. And if you really are so concerned about the way the LUG is handling this then you'd better follow through and step up and help us out, instead of criticising from the sidelines. Feel free to offer to run a beginners topic meeting any time - apparently we aren't doing enough of those. Daniel