[packagekit] gpk-application user interaction

[Anders F Björklund]

Tim Sarbin wrote:

> I understand the functionality of the app from a "knowledgeable" Linux
> user's standpoint; but would it not be beneficial to maybe have two
> modes -- advance (which shows what is shown now), and basic? The basic
> mode would be a lot less wordy, show one version for each app, use the
> application's actual icon, and be presented in a way that is not
> overwhelming to the casual Linux user (large scrolling lists tend to
> confuse people). For example, I launch Add/Remove which is  
> configured to
> start in basic mode. It shows a list of my currently installed  
> software
> in some sort of sane way, and also has a button called "Install new
> software...". I click the install new software button, and a nice  
> window
> comes up in big-icon view showing the categories (navigation done
> similar to Nautilus I guess). I double click on the icon called
> "Graphics", subtitled with "Applications to create and manipulate
> graphics" or something. When I do that, it shows a bit-icon tiled list
> of APPLICATIONS (NOT packages, even though that is what they are
> underneath) that can be installed. [...]

Wouldn't it be more like "ApplicationKit" then, if it showed
applications (stuff with .desktop files) rather than packages ?
I thought that was the big difference between gpk-application
and gnome-app-install ? PackageKit should use the icon, though.

So your "basic" would use .desktop menus for categories, and
show .desktop launchers without version/arch/group/size/etc,
while "advance" would use the package groups and package files
with most package information available (like it does now) ?


I think this (packages vs. applications) was mentioned earlier:
http://blogs.gnome.org/hughsie/2009/03/05/application-installing/

Whether it would make for a "basic/advance" toggle or for separate
applications (X-app-install/X-packagekit) altogether, I don't know.

--anders