[ubuntu-us-mo] Desktop Course Familiarization Feedback

[Matthew Copple]

Good evening!

I looked over the Desktop Course that is proposed and I am quite
impressed with it. I just want to add a few suggestions for items to
discuss:

1. Setting up and using a printer. You have it mentioned under "Office,"
but I want to reiterate that any casual glance at the forums, mailing
lists, and the blogosphere will show that dealing with printing is one
of the most frustrating tasks associated with Linux as a whole (Ubuntu
is no exception), and is an oft-cited reason for going back to Windows,
where most printers "Just work." While a deep discussion of CUPS would
probably be too technical for the average non-technical user, special
care should be taken to emphasize that some printers (especially brand
new ones) may need special attention to get them working, and at least
point to some resources that a new user could utilize to get help with
this complex issue. 

2. User and group management. Users should be given basic information on
Unix-style users and groups, and trained on how to add new users to the
system (so everyone in the family can try Ubuntu!).

3. Security: This deserves its own section. Security is critical. Topics
that should be discussed include:
-- Password creation
-- "Safe" browsing with Firefox and/or Konqueror: Firefox regularly
announces vulnerabilities (such as the recent vulnerability that exposes
passwords saved by the browser!), and folks need to know that just
because it is Linux doesn't mean they are entirely safe.
-- Safe software installation practices: Malware exists for Linux, too.
A user who finds a "neat" package on the internet and installs it on his
Ubuntu box can be just as "pwned" as he would have been doing it on
Windows. Show them MD5SUM and how to use it to determine if a package
has been poisoned or tampered with.
-- Enabling junk filtering and anti-virus protection for e-mail clients

Part of what makes Windows so insecure is the fact that its users
generally don't know how to secure it properly, or don't want to use
safe computing practices. Ubuntu (and other Linux distros), is not
difficult to secure against the majority of vulnerabilities, but it does
take some work. Users should not be lulled into believing, as many Mac
users do, that simply using an operating system that isn't built by
Microsoft is enough to keep them safe. There are a lot of compromised
Linux boxen out on the net, spewing as much spam as any Windows box.
Let's do everything we can to ensure that we aren't training up the next
generation of unwitting hijack victims!

What makes FOSS different is that users are given the freedom to truly
own their systems -- but with that freedom comes an equal amount of
responsibility.

Thank you for putting the syllabus together -- I am looking forward to
the finished product!

Sincerely,

Matthew G. Copple
Missouri Team
mcopple at kcopensource.org