Menu addition.

[George Farris]

On Fri, 2005-03-11 at 07:14 +0100, Heinrich Wendel wrote:
> On Thursday 10 March 2005 23:43, George Farris wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > I'm doing some packaging for Ubuntu and have been packaging a number of
> > Ham Radio applications.  There currently isn't a good place to put these
> > in the GNOME menu system. I would like to propose the addition of a top
> > level Freedesktop.org menu under Applications called "Amateur Radio".
> > In the long standing tradition of Linux supporting Ham Radio this would
> > be great.
> 
> There is already a HamRadio Category, it's up to GNOME to add it to their 
> menu.

Yes but according to the spec the apps should go in Network or Audio
neither of which really works.  Lets take a few apps for example:

gmfsk: Could show up under audio but is not optimal.
predict: Satellite tracking program, not audio or network.
rx320: Control a Ten-Tec RX-320 radio via a serial port, Network???
splat: analyze point-to-point terrestrial RF communication links.  ???
twlog: Logging program specifically for HR, not network or audio. ???
xastir: APRS, Station Tracking and Information Reporting, not network or
audio.

These are just a very few apps that don't really fit the menu categories
of Audio or Network that is laid out in the spec.  They do however
nicely fit into a "Ham Radio" menu.  Please note that Ham Radio is
something quite unique and probably does deserver it's own menu.

The only people to ever see this menu would be someone with an interest
in Ham Radio and with ham apps installed, then it would make perfect
sense.

To have ham apps spread all over the menus such as Network, Audio and
possible Office or Other just make no sense at all.

I have looked through the menu spec on freedesktop.org and honestly it
doesn't server this unique area well.

Again I suggest that having a "Amateur Radio" menu under Applications is
really the only thing that makes sense and would encompass all these
varied applications.

I urge you all to reconsider this.
Thank you.


-- 
George Farris   farrisg at mala.bc.ca
Malaspina University-College

As with the rail barons of the past:
There is no reason why the computer industry should have to put up 
with 'private standards' any longer. The word 'incompatible' is a 
dirty word. It's time to run those who insist on using it out of the 
business.