What happened to pup?

Jeff Spaleta jspaleta at gmail.com
Sun May 22 19:59:09 UTC 2005


On 5/22/05, Kyrre Ness Sjobak <kyrre at solution-forge.net> wrote:
>- find the correct package
thats a deceptively simple statement and hides the complexity of
building a way to browse through packages so that novice users can
find the 'correct' package among a technically diverse and yet
generally similar set of software. Its not enough to browse by
software name... since most project names do not connote functional or
technical specfics.  You certaintly can't expect 'novice' users to
know which web browser is the 'correct' browser for them simply by
looking package names.

And its not enough to browse by general functionality.. because the
'correct' software for any role can be situationally dependant on what
other people already have installed.  Or it could be they are looking
for a very specific feature instead of an easily described broad
function.
And lets not forget about license...the 'correct' package could very
well be a BSD licensed application instead of a GPL licensed one.


> - See the license (possibly the GPL), accept it

And.... what if that one application needs several dependancies...each
dependancy with a different license?  Shall we loop over all
dependancies as well.. a license review pane for each and every
dependancy package?

> Which method would you describe to a newbie? 
I don't think what you describe is inherently friendlier.  More
visual...but not friendlier.

I personally think software installation/removal interface aimed at
novice user/admins should mimic the menu structure novice users will
be interacting with on a daily basis.  Instead of thinking about
'packages' at all.. you build an interface that leads novice
user/admins to interact with application menu items.  Someone wants to
install an application they fire up an install software program that
presents the user/admin with the full applications menu showing all
available applications just like they would appear in the gnome menu
once installed.

You can extend this with a useful tooltip that gives a brief summary
of the package. You can extend this further and provided a properties
item in a right click menu to see items like license or vendor.  
Packages without menu items. simply don't show up in this novice
oriented tool.. reducing confusion. All is not lost, since you could
easily extend the menu metaphor by providing an Install dialog similar
to the Run application dialog for more advanced user/admins who know
which packagenames they want to install.


-jef




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