Re: Integrate VMware and Gnome - continued

["John R. Sheets" <dusk ravendusk org>]

On Oct 15, 1999, Chris Rogers <gandalf@pobox.com> wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 15 Oct 1999, Tom Tromey wrote:
> 
> > Regis> - 2 days later, a user logs on the machine, and he doesn't know that
> > Regis>   the sysadmin has installed VMware.
> > 
> > We shouldn't dictate site policy.  Here sysadmin sends email when they
> > install something major.
> 
> So have the behaviour be an option when installing.  On my mostly single
> user homesystem, I'll say no, cause I know it is installed.  At work where
> we want to let everyone know, the sysadmin can say yes.  At another
> location which uses email only to notify users, you can say no, and notify
> them by email.

Yes, there's install notification.  And there's also the problem of
notifying users of an upgrade: "Upgraded to Gnumeric x.x.x".  Some users
might want to know about one, but not the other.  Or, to get a little
fancy, you might want to customize the messages: "We've just upgraded
to the latest Gnumeric; see if this fixes the problems with the Carlson
spreadsheets."

But then we're getting into a messaging subsystem, which come to think
of it, may be a better way to go.  This would tie in with the GroupWare
stuff, I suppose.  Somewhere there would reside a prioritized message queue
where applications could insert messages when they are installed or
upgraded.  Sysadmins could tag the application's messages with comments.
The user could configure the types of messages they're interested in, and
run a little messaging app when they want to check up on the latest
news.  If they want to ride the cutting edge, they can put the app in their
session themselves.  Those who don't care don't have to run it at all.

Granted, I'm _completely_ off topic now, but my point is that maybe
you're trying to solve the wrong problem.  Part of GNOME's philosophy is
flexibility, and forcibly inserting notifications into a user's day to
day routine is not very flexible.

And you're forgetting something.  Not everyone uses gnome-session.  How
do you plan on notifying a user who prefers to run apps manually?  The
sysadmin can't force everyone to use gnome-session, and thus can't
guarantee that it'll be a common point between users.  This in itself
blows the concept of a hook, which needs to be consistent and reliable.

It seems to me that the news app/applet is the only way to make sure
everyone has access to the info without forcing it on anyone who doesn't
want it.  Call it....Gnupdate?

John