Re: GNOME Usability Improvements - Fix the window manager!

[Thomas Hedler <thomas hedler fen baynet de>]

On 02-Aug-99 jack wallen, jr wrote:
> Applications/Applets:
> 
>       Office Suite 
>       Easier to use dial up control
>       More simplistic mount/unmout of removable media
>       E-mail client capable of the configuration abilities of,
>       say,Pine
>       Better networking interface (akin, but better, than Network
>               Neighborhood)
>       

The Office-Suit is underway (but I would appreciate a constant naming
scheme for the application like Gnord, Gnexcel, Gnaccess ;-)) )

I think the dial-up control should not be an extra application with
an own window. The configuration has to be done in an capplet and a
button on the panel would start the connection or a wizard, when the
newbie presses the button for the first time.
But DONT forget to implement different connection configurations!!!

 
> UI:
> 
>       Ability for normal user to edit menu entries
>       Printer control in Control Center
>       Preview button actually do something in Control Center's theme
>               selector
       
But most of it is here right now and it works.

I think we should only do a good default configuration of
buttons and folders in the gnome panel like KDE does.

The totally newbie don't like (don't know how) to search through the
different panel applets etc.

When he sees a printing icon he will use it. When there is a easier
way for him to solve his printing problems he will do it, but he has
always the default possibility.

What about an application (with smooth GTK-Looking), which scans the
system after make install of gnome-core and gmc and configures a
~/.gnome directory?

You could scan the boot.msg and look for partitions, harddrives etc.
I think the mandrake people will contribute to this. Then you have
the Information to set a button for Configuration, Mailing/News,
Connections, Terminal, Editor, Clock, Office.

 
> System:
> 
>       Friendlier upgradability
>       Less core files ;-)

The most important points.

What I do not understand is, that I always read about core files etc.
I doesn't have one since 4 months!!! I don't use the rpms, but build
all by myself. What do you wrong. (SuSE 6.0, but upgraded in
different points)

To make installing easier, we should have an installation utility.
It starts with an ncurses-Layout and looks for glib, imlib and gtk.
If there are no packages or *.tar.gz in a available directory it
starts a connection wizard (the information can be used to prevent
the start of the Gnome-Connection wizard above (OK, wizard is a
M$-Word, but everyone knows what I mean)) and fetches the packages
online after you select an mirror in your country.
>From the latest-directory it gets gtk and glib etc. run Configure,
make, make install or rpm -i and then starts with an GWM or the
Gnome standard WM and a GTK-Application to install all the
Applications.
     
> 
> These are just thoughts that popped into my head.  some of them may
> already be in progress and some of them may be crap.  like i said -
> they
> are just thoughts. ;-)

The same in my head... ;-)

Thomas


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 EMail:    thomas.hedler@fen.baynet.de