Re: Some things GNOME really needs

[Victor Bogado da Silva Lins <bogadofuture openlink com br>]

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
> B. Its too prowerful for end users
> 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. 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 instead of the
> cold CLI, or you even make it so the install wizard trys and helps the
> person find bar.rpm
> 
> 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
> 
> 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.
> 
> 4. something like directX for gnome
> I believe Elliot has made a white paper about GMF, but correct me if i am
> wrong this is just for sound. Games are cool, and games will attract
> people to linux. I would never have to use windows again if my favorite
> games weren't only on windows. Something like this should be made for
> GNOME, it might even be a good idea to contact Loki and see if they would
> be willing to help? Such a subsystem would benefit them as well (easier to
> make games, and they would have a cool GUI to go along with it). Plus,
> other programs could use it like TV viewers, and 3D accelator cards.
> 
> Robert

	I've been folloing this thread and I have an idea that shoud fit in the
gnome project and at the same time be user-friendly.

	Instead of having a auto-super-inteligent-wizard that gets a tar.gz and
asks some questions and kabum it's installed. Why not follow the
dos/windows aproach? We create a simple library/app that handle
installation very easily. Each gnome application would bundle in a
executable format that would execute and install the application.

	The main part of gnome would be to make this library, witch would have
a nice gtk UI for choosing directories (/usr, /usr/local, maybe /opt?).
Handling distrib specific dbs (rpm and deb comes to mind), so the
program would be universal and other stuff like checkin HD space, basic
configuration files (witch run levels should this app run?). The
developer of the APP should create the installer executable. 

-- 
"You take the red pill and you stay in wonderland,
and I'll show you how deep the rabit hole goes", Morpheus.
 
[]'s Victor Bogado da Silva Lins