SoftwareCenter

Differences between revisions 4 and 5
⇤ ← Revision 4 as of 2005-10-06 19:41:30 →
Size: 2492
Editor: wbs-146-160-94
Comment:
← Revision 5 as of 2005-10-16 07:39:33 → ⇥
Size: 4488
Editor: 201-26-76-37
Comment: reworked Rationale; filled out Use cases; + Window layout
Deletions are marked like this. Additions are marked like this.
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 * Bugs:
  * [https://launchpad.net/malone/bugs/2549 Synaptic makes me want to revoke my life certificate]		  * Relevant bugs:
  * [https://launchpad.net/malone/bugs/2549 Many Synaptic error messages are unhelpful]
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 * Depends:  * See also: SystemUpgradeTool, AutomaticUpgrade
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 * "How do I install programs?" is one of the most common questions on the Ubuntu forums. In Ubuntu you can use `gnome-app-install` '''or''' `synaptic` for installing and uninstalling programs that have a `.desktop` file, `synaptic` for installing and uninstalling programs that don't, and `update-manager` '''or''' `synaptic` for installing updates. This is confusing and redundant. In Ubuntu you can use `gnome-app-install` '''or''' `synaptic` for installing and uninstalling programs that have a `.desktop` file, `synaptic` for installing and uninstalling programs that don't, and `update-manager` '''or''' `synaptic` for installing updates.
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 * Having an integrated, gorgeous tool for installing and uninstalling packages and installing security updates, and having it before any other distro does, will give Ubuntu a usability advantage for the next few months. (Merging the three tools should also result in more space available on the CD.) This is comically redundant, especially since (a) gnome-app-install does not include programs that don't have a `.desktop` file (of which there are many), (b) `gnome-app-install` tells you in the initial screen to use Synaptic "for more complicated needs", (c) `update-manager` instructs you to run `synaptic` if it encounters conflicts, and (d) it's not easy to follow this advice since only one of the three tools can be run at once. Furthermore, "Synaptic" is a non-sequitur name, and `gnome-app-install` is misleading since it lets you install non-Gnome apps.
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 * "Synaptic" was an unfortunately obscure name anyway, and "gnome-app-install" is misleading when installing non-Gnome apps. Developing one simple, integrated, gorgeous tool for installing and uninstalling packages and installing security updates, will let us solve all these problems at once. Merging the three previous tools should also result in more space available on the CD.
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 * Sam works at a company where he is not a sysadmin. He still wants to be able to see which packages are installed on his machine, and where their files are.  * Helen is happily using Ubuntu 6.04, when she hears from a workmate that Ubuntu 6.10 has been released. She is interested in upgrading, as long it's free, and as long as she can first read a summary of what's new.

 * Sam is a college student who has recently migrated from to Windows XP to Ubuntu because he was fed up with adult sites installing spyware on his computer. The reason he had so much trouble was that though XP kept on popping up balloons in the corner of the screen to tell him about security updates, he closed them because that was the easiest thing to do. A few weeks after he installs Ubuntu, there is an important security update to Firefox 1.6 ...

 * Ladina works as a developer at a molecular biology lab where she is not a sysadmin. She is having a bit of trouble with Biopython, and wants an easy way of seeing which version of `python-biopython` is installed and where its files are.

 * Joel wants to install Skype, but it's not in any of the Ubuntu repositories. He downloads the `.deb` package from `skype.com`, and double-clicks it.
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=== Invocation ===

 * "Update/Manage Software…" is an item in the System menu. This opens Software Manager, showing "Programs installable" by default.

 * Every ______ (week?) by default, Ubuntu checks for security updates. When updates are available, if you are an admin, Software Manager opens behind all other windows (so as not to steal focus) but requesting attention, showing "Security updates" by default.

=== Window layout ===

The Software Manager has two panes, one listing programs/packages, the other for describing the selected package. There is also a menu bar, a bar at the top containing filter/search controls, and a bar at the bottom containing summary info and an action button.

...

=== Menus ===

=== Braindump ===
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Show: [programs you can install :^]      Search: [______________]}}} Show: [Programs installable :^] Containing: [______________]}}}
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  * programs you can install (default when invoked manually)
  * programs already installed		   * Programs installable (default when invoked manually)
  * Programs already installed
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  * packages available
  * packages installed		   * Packages available
  * Packages installed
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  * security updates (search field replaced by "Updates available" text)
  * all updates		   * Security updates (search field replaced by "Updates available" text)
  * All updates

  * Changes to be made

Summary

Rationale

In Ubuntu you can use gnome-app-install or synaptic for installing and uninstalling programs that have a .desktop file, synaptic for installing and uninstalling programs that don't, and update-manager or synaptic for installing updates.

This is comically redundant, especially since (a) gnome-app-install does not include programs that don't have a .desktop file (of which there are many), (b) gnome-app-install tells you in the initial screen to use Synaptic "for more complicated needs", (c) update-manager instructs you to run synaptic if it encounters conflicts, and (d) it's not easy to follow this advice since only one of the three tools can be run at once. Furthermore, "Synaptic" is a non-sequitur name, and gnome-app-install is misleading since it lets you install non-Gnome apps.

Developing one simple, integrated, gorgeous tool for installing and uninstalling packages and installing security updates, will let us solve all these problems at once. Merging the three previous tools should also result in more space available on the CD.

Use cases

  • Helen is happily using Ubuntu 6.04, when she hears from a workmate that Ubuntu 6.10 has been released. She is interested in upgrading, as long it's free, and as long as she can first read a summary of what's new.
  • Sam is a college student who has recently migrated from to Windows XP to Ubuntu because he was fed up with adult sites installing spyware on his computer. The reason he had so much trouble was that though XP kept on popping up balloons in the corner of the screen to tell him about security updates, he closed them because that was the easiest thing to do. A few weeks after he installs Ubuntu, there is an important security update to Firefox 1.6 ...

  • Ladina works as a developer at a molecular biology lab where she is not a sysadmin. She is having a bit of trouble with Biopython, and wants an easy way of seeing which version of python-biopython is installed and where its files are.

  • Joel wants to install Skype, but it's not in any of the Ubuntu repositories. He downloads the .deb package from skype.com, and double-clicks it.

Scope

  • Screenshots of available packages?

  • AutoPackage integration?

Design

Invocation

  • "Update/Manage Software…" is an item in the System menu. This opens Software Manager, showing "Programs installable" by default.

  • Every (week?) by default, Ubuntu checks for security updates. When updates are available, if you are an admin, Software Manager opens behind all other windows (so as not to steal focus) but requesting attention, showing "Security updates" by default.

Window layout

The Software Manager has two panes, one listing programs/packages, the other for describing the selected package. There is also a menu bar, a bar at the top containing filter/search controls, and a bar at the bottom containing summary info and an action button.

...

Braindump

  • Dynamically filtered view of programs or packages: 

    Show: [Programs installable    :^]    Containing: [______________]
  • Menu choices are:
    • Programs installable (default when invoked manually)
    • Programs already installed
    • Packages available
    • Packages installed
    • Security updates (search field replaced by "Updates available" text)
    • All updates
    • Changes to be made
  • Items in the list have iconic pull-down menus that look like menus, not checkboxes.
  • Recommendations and suggestions are shown as children of an item in the list (recommendations selected by default, suggestions not).
  • Multi-level undo.

Implementation

Code

Data preservation and migration

Outstanding issues

BoF agenda and discussion

SoftwareCenter (last edited 2019-04-28 16:57:10 by mpt)