Re: Preferences, System Tools

[Jody Goldberg <jody gnome org>]

On Fri, Jun 04, 2004 at 03:01:30PM -0400, Havoc Pennington wrote:
> 
> Jody points out that the current litmus test is "does it require a root
> password?" - this is backward. The litmus test should be "does a desktop
> user need to do it?" - and then if it requires a root password even
> though a user needs to do it, we fix the root password problem. D-BUS is
> one way to do that (by having a root process ask the user session for a
> setting).

Agreed the current approach is purely a resource saving measure
based on shuffling existing tools rather than changing the set of
tools.

> Hardware
>       * Screen layout (multiple monitors), resolution, and depth
>       * Mouse speed
- Speed is in accessibility too.
- I don't see speed as a hardware issue
- This seems like a place to handle
    : multiple mice, or even input devices (remote controls)
    : extra buttons

>       * Sound volume
>         (may additionally have a panel presence) 
Someone is going to bring up a capplet to adjust their volume ?
Ick.  I can see the potential for an alsa config tool to select
which of the bazillion listed channels actually control volume, but
that is not something a user should really see.

>       * Which printer and printer options such as paper
>         (may additionally have presence in print dialogs) 
Yes and no.  I see this in more of an 'Your environment' type
setting rather than hardware.

> Internationalization
>       * Keyboard layout
>         (may additionally have a panel presence) 
The current layout page bothers me some what in that XKB is forcing
us to merge the physical layout of the keyboard (which I think
belongs in hardware) and the symbols associated with keys.  There
are lots of users around that are changing keyboard layout
properties that will not thing of i18n as the first place to look
for that functionality.

>       * Language
locale as covered elsewhere.

> Network
>       * Select a wireless network (essid)
>       * Configure and sign on to VPN
>       * Set network proxy
> Notes: all cards should dhcp automatically if there's a link. Also, we
> should introduce a "home or work" profile setting; but network profiles
> are *not* a matter of setting up two network configurations, rather
> they're a matter of associating other settings (such as Evolution
> settings) *with* the network you're on. Which network your on should be,
> for the most part, automatically inferred.
Selecting which printer to make default would be nice at this level,
as part of the current environment/profile.


> UNIX user toys
>       * Toolbar icons/text/both
>       * Window manager prefs
>       * Keyboard shortcuts
reasonable.

> "What to use?"
Do we want a tool to configure mime handlers or just assume it is
part of nautilus ?

>       * Web browser
good.  distinct http vs https vs ftp handlers seem ugly in the ui.

>       * email
>       * Text editor
I'd like to see this list expanded and clarified.  Apps frequently
need to perform logical actions which by consensus are not part of
the mime system
    - Open this url
    - send an email to <foo> and attach <bar> (mailto on the cmdline
      support is not consistent and has locale issues)
    - open an irc client for <server> <channel>
    - open a terminal
    ...
>       * CD player
>       * DVD player
>       * CD burner
- Distinct cd and dvd players ?
- CD burner but no dvd ?
Seems like this is inconsistent

> Homing/Personalization
>       * Background
>       * Font
>       * Personal info (name, etc.)
>       * Theme
>         (controls cursor, gtk theme, wm theme, icon theme and provides
>         the option of suggesting a font and background)
> 
> Accessibility
>       * Key repeat rate
>       * Cursor blink rate
>       * Typing break
>       * Mouse speed
>       * Double click speed
>       * Drag threshold
>       * Pointer locator key
>       * Cursor size
>       * Left-handed mouse
>       * ...etc...
> Notes: Rather than making people poke through dozens of preference
> pages, we can create custom pref pages for users with different needs on
> the fly. This should be the set of all imaginable controls somebody with
> a particular disability (e.g. vision impaired) would need for the
> interface to be accessible.  

Many of these are not pure accessibility features.  Most of them
seem more like 'Usability'.  The real a11y features are more
extensive
    - assistive technologies to use at startup
    - slow/bounce keys