[Freedombox-discuss] [ask] booting and configuring

[Ian Dunlop]

Hello,

First post to the list so hello to everyone involved in the project.
Totally agree with the push for 'normal' users.  A lot of FOSS projects
cater for the non 'enthusiast' user as an afterthought and the results are
often a bit unsatisfactory.  Initially build for the lowest common
denominator.  Keep it simple.  Even things like the wiki have to hook in the
interested but non techie passer by.

Need a 'five reasons why you should care' page (if there isn't something
similar already).

Cheers,

Ian

On 15 March 2011 17:55, Boaz <alt.boaz at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thomas:
>
> >Suppose I want to make a bulk purchase of a whopping
> >500 of of these, load 'em up with freedombox
> >pre-installs and sell 'em -- in my town among friends
> >and family and such, for now.
> >
> >And I want all this to go down 11 months from today.
> >
> >So I don't care for that short a time frame about
> >booting in the most hostile environments because I'm
> >pretty sure I can't ship any of the hardware to
> >such environments nevermind support the software there
> >just yet.  I want to ship to less hostile environments
> >first to kind of get the juices flowing... to get
> >to a point where honest to gosh users (however unexciting
> >they are compared to active revolutionaries) are spending
> >money on freedombox technology, and that money is feeding
> >back into development.
> >
> >Real, real simple.   I want to give one to my cousin-in-law
> >to use for their blogging of their kids progress as she
> >enters first grade....  that kind of thing.
>
> I completely agree.  We will get the freedom box into the hands of
> active revolutionaries in time.  But for our ambitions of quick
> release, if at any point we find that it will be quicker to get it
> ready for unexciting normal boring users in normal times, let's go
> that direction for now.  It will aid in protecting freedom in their
> hands too, and will as you say "get the juices flowing".
>
> Jonas:
>
> >On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 07:03:23PM -0700, Thomas Lord wrote:
> >>
> >> Opinions and speculations requested, please.
> >> What is our group vision about this:
> >>
> >> I mail off a headless freedombox to some non-hacker
> >> friend (who, let's assume, has a computer
> >> and Internet connection at home already, but
> >> who isn't a sysadmin or anything close).
> >>
> >> He opens it up.  Plugs it in / turns it
> >> on.   The package, I hope, has one page of
> >> instructions about how to configure the
> >> freedombox and start using it.
> >>
> >> What does the process look like?
> >>
> >> Does my friend have to have wifi?
> >> Or a spare ethernet cable and a router
> >> with a spare slot?   What if his wifi
> >> is password protected?   Does he
> >> telnet to the box?  Use a web browser?
> >> Or does it include a (possibly tiny, minimal)
> >> display and my friend is supposed to plug
> >> in a keyboard?
> >>
> >> What is a realistic and desirable "vision"
> >> for the "first 10 minutes" experience?
> >
> >
> >I imagine something like this:
> >
> >
> > * Initiate personalization mode in one of these ways:
> >   a) Plug a USB keyboard into the box while turned off.
> >      Turn box on, and when light changes to slowly blinking
> >      (approx. 1 minut) type in a temporary passphrase (yes,
> >      blindly, there is no screen) and unplug the keyboard.
> >   b) Hold down reset button for 5 seconds while turned off.
> >      Turn box on while keeping down reset button, and when
> >      light changes to slowly blinking (approx. 1 minut)
> >      release the reset button.
> > * Notice how light blinks double now, indicating pairing mode.
> >   If not then repeat above step.
> > * connect the box and your own computer one of these ways:
> >   a) connect directly with an ethernet cable
> >   b) connect directly with a USB cable - showing as a usb-net at
> >      your computer
> >   c) connect your own computer to wifi network "freedomnet"
> >      offered by the box.
> > * connect to web address http://freedombox.local/ or connect    to DLNA
> device "freedombox".
> > * Enter your passphrase (if using reset button, enter 1234).
> > * Select the Freedoms you want enabled, and select "OK".
> > * If your selection included personal freedoms then enter your
> >   nickname (you can add more later), and save the WebID you
> >   are then being given.
> >   NB! Very important that you keep this WebID and keep it
> >   private - it is your key to personal data on FreedomBox!
>
> I imagine something more like this:
>
> 1. First you install the freedom box interface software for the
> personal computer which you already have.  It's packaged for your
> GNU/Linux distribution, or you can download it from the web for your
> Windows or Macintosh computer, or either way it came with the freedom
> box you bought on a CD or USB drive.  Installing it from the web for
> Windows should be even easier than installing Mozilla Firefox from the
> web for Windows.
>
> 2. Now you connect the freedom box directly to your computer with either:
>  a) an ethernet cable
>  b) a USB cable
> One of these two cables came with the freedom box when you bought it.
> Later in normal use you'll be able to interact with the freedom box
> over an encrypted wireless link.
>
> 3. You click the icon for the freedom box interface which the
> installation process has conveniently automatically placed on your
> desk top (the same icon that you're going to click for the interface
> that you're going to use to interact with your freedom box in normal
> use).
>
> 4. It walks you step by step through anything you might need to do,
> which is as little as possible.  As Jonas has written, all services
> have sensible defaults and are ready to go, and any tuning is optional
> and can be done later (like, in an accessible and easy to use settings
> menu).  The process should be as easy or easier than setting up a
> Facebook account.
>
> This might be ambitious, but it's what we need to get people to use
> the thing.  Normal users do not tolerate hassle of any kind.  Even all
> that stuff with the blinking lights and the reset button and so on
> will be viewed by users as an unacceptable pain in the neck.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Freedombox-discuss mailing list
> Freedombox-discuss at lists.alioth.debian.org
> http://lists.alioth.debian.org/mailman/listinfo/freedombox-discuss
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/freedombox-discuss/attachments/20110316/fd82ba08/attachment-0001.htm>