Debian's graphical installer - what's the point?

Debian
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Remember when people would say - oh, Debian is hard to install…? I remember when their installer routine went ‘graphical’ which really meant mouse support and softer lines, rounder edges to stuff. Graphical was the answer to hard.

Over the releases I have used the graphical installer a couple times, saw little changes. I might have a disease where easy stuff is too hard for me. Heh, but, I don’t think the graphical installer is any ‘easier’. I think it’s one of those things that someone saw the need for, but, it’s just a ‘layer’ fix - I dunno - to a simpleton like me the regular (expert) installation routine makes it easier to see and understand what’s happening. It’s faster and it works great; it wasn’t broken then, either.

This is on my mind because I reinstalled last week and I used the graphical installer and I messed up somehow and had to fix, and what was broke wasn’t getting fixed, so, reinstall.

Maybe I am one of those people that, even though I live to share and collaborate, I DO think that you need to earn the Linux. Not because - hey, lookit us, the cool kids - no, but, because I believe that anyone using anything should understand how it works, at least a little, and not just flip some switch to on when using or employing something unfamiliar. Not only is it an immense failure of expectations, that’s when all the whining starts, and the blaming - notice, lack of personal responsibility.

Before I turn this into a 9 page diatribe, I’m just saying - well, you already read what I am saying. Teach to fish don’t just give a fish? Lay that groundwork, have that expectation? I dunno…

old man yells at clouds…and I’m not even old, yet.

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Every time I try to use the graphical installer it’s broke. I normally just use the non graphical one to get it done.

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You’re right on with this statement!

I don’t think that EVERYONE should have to know and understand a tool really well in order to use it, as long as they do understand what the tool does, how to operate it and how to be safe with it.

For example, if you use a saw, you should know how to saw back and forth, how to cut with it, what kinds of materials the size and type of saw can cut, how to prevent YOURSELF from getting cut, and so forth.

I believe a similar analogy goes with the computer. If you are just using it to read Email and browse, you don’t have to understand how to compile and build a kernel - besides, even here, I wonder how many people can do that! But it IS necessary to understand how to properly start it up and how to properly shut it down, and it’s important to know what you’re running and how to activate, start, deactivate and stop whatever you’re using.

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To use an analogy, you would (hopefully) never venture into an unknown neighbourhood without first getting “the lay of the land”, in the way of knowing

  • how safe is it,
  • what do I use to get there,
  • how am I getting there,
  • how do I recognize what I am looking for when I see it,
  • how do I bring back what I went to get,
  • how to do all that in a way that I can do it again … without breaking anything,
  • etc …

Just basic common sense, instead of walking around like “air heads”, oblivious to all around you!

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