Announce: Simple End-User Linux (SEUL) Project

[arma@seul.org]

The SEUL Project is an organization dedicated to developing a free
Linux distribution that presents a viable alternative to commercial
PC operating systems.  Currently based on RedHat Linux, the SEUL
distribution will cover many different aspects of Linux, including:

* User-friendly and consistent interface to file management and
  package installation/management.

* Similar interface for administration issues, such as system log
  management, mail configuration, and inetd services.

* An intuitive, familiar, and consistent help format (hypertext) with
  powerful search engine, extensive documentation, and tutorials for
  common (and uncommon) procedures.

* Automatic hardware recognition/support and easy configuration,
  particularly for X-windows and the kernel.

* 'Productivity Applications' -- word processor, spreadsheet, attractive
  and powerful database frontend.  Must be able to support binary file
  formats of commercial applications (particularly Word).  Internet suite.
  Compilers/Interpreters (C, C++, perl, Fortran, Java, etc)

* Extensive network support, especially autoconfigure and autoconnect for
  PPP links (by far the most common type of Internet connection currently).

* Publicity and Advocacy: writing clear and convincing documents
  describing why Linux is actually a viable choice for non-programmer
  home and office computer users.

We don't intend to write everything ourselves. If we can create a good
distribution simply by collecting and collating applications from other
groups (possibly with some reconfiguration to present a consistent
interface), everybody wins.  All software written specifically for SEUL will
be made available under the GNU Public License, and all other applications
that we include will be available under the GPL or similar (free) licenses.

SEUL is a relatively new project.  We have a membership list of about a
hundred, and our progress on the above tasks includes developer services, a
demo of the help browser, a draft of a document detailing why Linux is better
than other operating systems, an alpha of a system log monitor/filter, and
some other useful tools.  

We need many more volunteers, both for coordinating and for creating.  
If you want to provide any help or comments, please visit us at
http://www.seul.org or contact seul@seul.org.

Thank you,
--Roger Dingledine (arma@seul.org)