[packagekit] PackageKitExtra - package abstraction

[Sebastian Heinlein]

1. Application

Most users are familiar with applications they use. So the idea is to
abstract the technical package names to the application level. This is
already done by gnome-app-install in Ubuntu, see
http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/MoS2007/12_Installing_Applications

I plan to add an application to view to update-manager in the near
future.

To achive this all .desktop files are extracted from the archive and
stored in a cache with some extra information. Currently all desktop
files are shiped in the app-install-data package so that the cache can
be rebuild afterwards again.

Here is the list of extra attributes that we use:

* X-AppInstall-Package
Name of the corresonding package

* X-AppInstall-Popcon
Integer that gives an idea how popular an application is. Calculated
from user statistics.

* X-AppInstall-Section
The section of the Ubuntu repository that the application is in. If not
enabled we enable the section before installing the application.
 
* X-AppInstall-Architectures
The architectures which are supported by the package

* X-AppInstall-Proprietary
Does it contain non-free code?

* X-AppInstall-Supported
Is it supported by Canonical?

* X-AppInstall-Channel
Label of a third party repository that contains the package of the
application and needs to be enabled before.

* X-AppInstall-Codecs
List of codes that are supported by the application. There are some
manual created applications for codec packages.

* X-AppInstall-PatentBadness
Possibly problematic code inside.


2. MIME-Type handler

If you want to open a file which non of your installed applications can
handle, the mime-type attribute in the above explained application cache
is searched and a list of suggested applications is presented.


3. Codecs

We already have got a common hook for codec installers in gstreamer.
Would perhaps be nice to abstract this even further.


4. Commands

If you type in a not installed command into your terminal, Ubuntu
currently looks in to a command cache and presents packages that provide
this command:

renate at laptop:~$ ncftp ftp.ubuntu.com
The program 'ncftp' can be found in the following packages:
 * ncftp
 * ncftp2
Try: sudo apt-get install <selected package>
bash: ncftp: command not found

@Richard:

Do you already have got some rough ideas about PkExtra?

Cheers,

Sebastian
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Dies ist ein digital signierter Nachrichtenteil
URL: <http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/packagekit/attachments/20080218/fb4bcb59/attachment-0004.pgp>