Re: PROPOSAL : Integrating system tools in GNOME

[Sean Middleditch <elanthis awesomeplay com>]

Eugenia Loli-Queru wrote:
> > > So, to fix the problem of preference/system-settings inconsistency is to
> > > create a *framework* where distros/OSes can use it to *easily* port or
> > > rewrite or write their tools.
>
>
> > That's precisely what GNOME System Tools provides.
>
>
> Then it is obviously not advertised or used correctly or its architecture
> doesn't inspire the OS makers to endorse it. I have yet to see anyone except
> Ximian using the framework (I think RH uses python and their own backend
> thing and Mdk their own thing too using gtk-perl).

That is because all the distro-specific tools existed long before GST, 
and there is little incentive to switch.  GST does not offer anything 
that Red Hat's, SuSE's, Mandrake's, and others' tools do not provide in 
terms of features.  Why would any of those distros want to chuck out all 
their existing perfectly good tools?  Red Hat has no interest in 
switching to YaST, SuSE doesn't want system-config-*, GNOME doesn't plan 
on including either, and so on.

> A question: let's say that distro XX decided to use the System Tools
> framework. How do they place their 10 new panels on the gnome menu? Adding
> subfolders isn't always the best idea IMHO, some sort of categorization
> should take place and *integration* wtih the existing gnome tools... For
> example, you don't want to have the gnome "proxy" applet taking space while
> you already have created a full wifi/bluetooth/modem/eth0 applet and the
> proxy options should be part of that new panel rather than being out there
> by itself. Using some gconf/xml/whatever, the panels themselves should
> "talk" with other panels, they should not just exist on their own.

It really isn't that complicated.  GConf already allows all the 
panels/tools/whatever to work together.  That's the whole point of 
GConf.  You can even have both panels open at once, change settings in 
one, and see the changes in the other.  If a distro includes an uber 
network tool (which I do *not* believe is a good idea *at all*; 
different network settings are changed much more frequently than others. 
 The big mess that is system-config-network in Fedora is a great 
example of too much crap in one place) all they have to do is remove the 
menu entry for the basic proxy tool.  They don't even have to remove 
that tool from the install (which wouldn't be a good idea).

> Eugenia
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