Re: Improving the README and new user experience

[Dan Partelly <dan_partelly@rdsor.ro>]

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It is my oppinion that first you should very clearly define what you want from GuixSD 

a) is GuixSD to be a system which sees wide adoption , or is a system by developers for developers.
b) What kind of users ? Industrial use or amateurs at home ?
c) Server space, desktop space or both ?
d) if server space, actively think at security  and to the stability of the OS. Identify potential security risks of  running the custom kernel you have. Document it. Be open about it . Think at the implications of running a conservative garbage collector in several system demons. Uptime should be measured in year(s). See if it is a problem or not.Measure it .  Document it.
e) GuixSD is decent OS  and  follows NIX on the path of innovation . It would be a pitty to remain a niche used by a very small group of ppl . Do not focus just on the fact that the system is transactional, atomic and so on. Make it rock stable.


> I'm not quite sure yet how to improve the experience to new users.

1. Once you know this there is a lot you can do. Scheme is a good configuration language, but if you lack info on all the basics administration tasks and the semantics of the DSL the user is screwed. Documenting it is a must, for all common adminsitrative tasks
2. Make sure you use sound development practices, do not inflict the users upon the bleeding edge of your repository. I cannot stress enough how important this is, regardless of what you shoose to be the market of your product.
3. Treat it as a product, not as a hacking playground. I know it is not funny, but my guess is that it will help with adoption
4. Once you reach 1.0 , stop. Reflect on the bugs you have, and what documentation you lack. Make bug solving a priority for several point releases over new features. Or do both if you have sufficient manpower.
e) AIX Smitty is a great rpogram for configuring the system. It generates scripts, which the admin can execute and bring the OS in the desired state. You can generate Scheme from a similar system configuration tool, indicate the user it should review it, then
execute system recofniguration with guix command. 

> On Jun 20, 2018, at 10:20, Pierre Neidhardt <ambrevar@gmail.com <mailto:ambrevar@gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
> I'm not quite sure yet how to improve the experience to new users.  I'd
> need to install it several times, with other people and for different
> scenarios before I can be a better judge.



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