Re: Some things GNOME really needs

[Tim Allen <timallen godzilla zeta org au>]

On Wed, 23 Jun 1999, Robert Roeser wrote:

> I have some ideas I that make GNOME alot easier to use for newbies
> 
> 1. INSTALL WIZARD
> I know alot of you think that rpm are great but for most the people that
> use windows rpm -ivh --force --nodeps *.rpm, or whatever would scare the
> hell out of them. Great you say, just use GnoRPM or a tool like that.
> Two problems:
> A. What about programs you have to compile, or aren't RPMs

Well, I wouldn't be pointing newbies at non-RPM packages. OK, I agree,
some kind of automated installation program to type
"./configure;make;make install" would make installation much easier for
many people, but the reason it's not automated is because so many things
can go wrong, and a program just can't account for that kind of thing.

Anyway, most of the programs that can reliably be made with that
commandline tend to be RPMs anyway..

> B. Its too prowerful for end users

*cough*snort*choke*

It's *what*? Did I hear someone chide a tool for being *too* powerful?

The idea is to *give* power, not with-hold it. If you want a program to
restrict your choices and limit your capabilities, you know where to find
it.

So if it's too powerful, where's the "automated update" button that Debian
always claims is superior to RPM? Where's the button for "refresh web
index"? Where's the button for "Who owns this file?"?

> A gnifty GNOME INSTALL wizard would be great. User downloads a package
> called foobar.tar.gz, opens the GNOME INSTALL wizard, finds foobar.tar.gz,
> and it walks him through the rest of the install.

The thing is, if everything goes swimmingly, it's not really that much
more difficult to just type the commands. If something does go wrong, even
the most helpful Wizard in the world can have difficulty tracking through
the Makefile looking for what libraries are needed, if they're installed,
if there's a version conflict, if it's a syntax error in the code, if it's
an odd incompatibility in the code, if it's a missing #include that isn't
necessary on the original platform, or any of the other myriad problems
that are collectively the Fun Of Compiling.

> Or if said person gets
> an rpm foo.rpm, the install wiz could do that for him as well. However, it
> it needs bar.rpm, it would tell him in a nice GUI setting

OK, GnoRPM should do that. Or even find & install it for him.

> instead of the
> cold CLI, or you even make it so the install wizard trys and helps the
> person find bar.rpm

Yip - GnoRPM probably should also automatically look up it's local index
of the RedHat RPM site.. or better yet, rpmfind.net

Or we could always try and figure out how to *educate* newbies, so we
don't have to code for them..

> 2. Cool GNOME Mascot/Helper
> I don't think GNOME has a mascot. I would be cool if you could make a
> little GNOME Mascot that could fly around and give new users a tour of
> GNOME

OK, maybe a GNOME mascot would be nice. We've already got Tux, and this
cute little G-foot-thing, but a personified character? I dunno - I tend to
like "cool" more than "cute".

And flying around and giving a tour? Argh! Argh! Ow! 

> 3. GNOME certified programs
> Make a certain standard which programs should strive to comply for interms
> of interface, and help, etc. Give the programmers a little banner to put
> on there page if there program is certified. 

Well, a UI guide certainly. A little banner sounds a little kitschy. (sp?)

> 4. something like directX for gnome

Erm, I think this would be the department of X11, not GNOME?


Thanks for your thoughts, anyway..