Re: Lock'n'load! [Was: Integrating system tools in GNOME]

[Jody Goldberg <jody gnome org>]

On Fri, Jun 04, 2004 at 11:40:46AM -0400, Sean Middleditch wrote:
> Another question is exactly what constitutes as system and what is a
> user preference.  For example, a proxy setting I consider a system
> preference, since the proxy generally is required for a whole network. 
> So where does the proxy setting fit?

To date the litmus test we've been using is
    'does the change require the root passwd'
 
> Also, what is the real definition of these?  Does system actually mean
> "affects the entire machine", does it mean "needs root access to
> modify", does it mean "low level non-user type detail", etc?

Things can get very murky, I doubt we'll ever have a crystal clear
delineator.  Look at something like the keyboard layout.   That is
currently a user preference which is mostly correct, but the vast
majority of users to date have been tweaking that at the system
level in the XF86Config.

> Guidelines should be available for config tool writers that specify the
> general design guidelines for all this stuff.  I.e., how to tell if your
> tool is a system tool or a preference tool.  How to decide when to break
> a module up and whatnot, too.  i.e., should proxy be part of network
> config or on its own?  should uber-capplets that handle 100 different
> mostly related things be allowed?  if you can configure wireless access
> points, firewalls, network connections, and proxy/dns settings in one
> capplet, then why shouldn't there be a single capplet that configure all
> server subsystems like Apache, Bind, DHCPD, and so on?)

Ted Tso's mythical 'tasteful' programmers seem about the only
vaiable way to handle this sort of thing.  As far a I can tell we'll
need to handle this on a case by case basis and haggle out which way
seems smoothest for users.  The k-approach of just adding a search
engine doesn't appeal.

> >   and most likely a consistent way of handling unexpected capplets.
> >   The key issue here is that once the ximian shell starts scrolling
> >   it is alot less usable.  There are also layout issues for
> >   languages like German with reallydamnlongwords.
> 
> Don't we have a widget somewhere that can do more intelligent icon
> layouts?  Something that resizes nicely when labels are very wide?  And
> maybe also configure the shell to adjust its default window size based
> on the items within?  (To a sane maximum, of course.)

This is already done to some extent,  About the only significant
layout optimization that could be added would reoder rows to
minimize width.  I can't see the usability, or docs folk liking
that.