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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: July 1st, 2023

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  • I set up Mint for a non-techy relative on their old desktop.

    • Their use-case is almost entirely web browser, so there was no need to cover installing programs. Click the same browser icon and it should behave basically the same way.
    • No need to explain the terminal beyond “this is where you can type advanced commands, you don’t need to worry about it”.
    • If there’s an error message, read it and try to understand what it’s actually saying rather than just dismissing it. Do a web search if you’re feeling confident, send me a photo of the screen if you’re not.
    • Explain how to install updates (or just configure automatic backups and updates for them).
    • Explain when and why the computer will ask for a password (e.g. login and updates) and how that password is for the computer, not for their email or whatever.
    • Explain the basics of folders. This is your home directory, here’s where downloads go, here’s how to create a folder and drag your files into it.
    • Tell them not to panic. I’ve seen a lot of older people terrified of pressing the wrong button, make sure they know how to understand what they’re doing and undo their mistakes.
    • Be patient!