Re: Volume handling proposal

[Luca Ferretti <elle uca libero it>]

On mar, 2003-09-16 at 15:40 +0200, Alexander Larsson wrote:

> Three new concepts are introduced:
> 
> First concept is a virtual location called "Computer", which is a
> "root" of all the volumes in the system, much like "My Computer" in
> WinXP and "Computer" in MacOSX. 

<cut>

> In the gnome menu there are menu items for "Computer", and
> $HOME. And probably "Navigate Filesystem" or something like that which
> opens a navigation-model window (see recent nautilus post) which
> probably opens in $HOME too.
> 

I dislike it, sorry. "Computer" and "Home" don't fit Application or
Action menu.

And if we want NavNautilus as a 'separate' app (from user prospective)
it should be under Application -> [Accessories|System] -> File[system]
Browser.

"Navigate Filesystem" is an action, not an application

> The desktop will contain the current Home link and trash can. Home is
> here since it is a really frequently visited location, basically being
> the unix version of "My Documents". Some people dislike this because
> it creates a loop (Desktop is in Home, Desktop points to home), but I
> think its more important to have quick access to home than being
> "loop-free". 

IMHO we need another label for home too. There was a thread on list on
July (Sub: Remove some stuff from application menu), take a look,
please.

What about a "Resource" icon/vfolder on desktop with "Computer",
"Network", "Printers" and similar stuff inside? IMHO is the best and
more logical place. 

> The desktop will also show icons for:
> * removable media (cd/dvd/floppy) with media mounted.
> * all the connected servers
> * mounted removable hardware filesystems
> * active non-mountable external/removable hardware (i.e. mp3 players,
>   etc). These are basically links to non-file uris like
>   "camera://foo_cam/1/".

I've no idea about networked environment, but don't you think there is
the risk to have a desktop full of unused icons?

Is a connected server in use or just is here waiting to use?

>   
> The navigation file manager windows will have Home and Computer on the
> toolbar and in the Go menu. Spatial windows will only have the go
> menu.
> 

Go menu in spatial window ?????????????

What it should be? Open another window, I hope. Do we really need it? 


> The Computer location will contain all the items on the desktop, plus
> filesystem (/) and a link to "Network". It will also contain all
> removable media devices that doesn't have media mounted, and will
> allow them to be mounted if there is no support for
> auto-detecting-and-mounting. It might be a good idea if just clicking
> on an unmounted icon here tried to mount it before opening.
> Basically, "Computer" a sort of user-level root where you can get to
> all the usable mounts in the system. 
> 

I like the idea, don't like the labels. You are calling "Computer" an
icon, then an object in new default implementation, to access to stuff
other-then-home. So resources available to the user but not totally
owned.

I think is important to show the opposition between this object (and its
contents) and the $HOME object (personal stuff) and put both them on
desktop, as it should be on XD2

> -----------
> 
> How do we handle burn:? I really like the way where its sort of
> invisible in the UI until you insert a blank cd and magicdev detects
> it. This doesn't work without magicdev, but maybe clicking on the CD
> in computer could try to detect a blank cd and go to burn:. Of course,
> this gives problems with rewriting CD-RWs and burning .iso images, so
> i guess this has to be visible some other way in the UI too. Maybe
> right click on the cd device icon and select "burn to cd"?
> 

Adding a "CD Creator" icon in "Resources" (or "Computer") vfolder?

> Still not sure what roots make sense in the file selector. Do we want
> to allow mounting of e.g. floppies from the file selector?
> 

'cause the first place you 'use' and see is the desktop, I think is a
good idea if the file selector start from desktop too.

But I can't explain why, just a personal taste.

> What about printers etc? "Computer" is essentially only "filesystems
> accessible on the computer" right now, but it *could* be extended to
> be more like a "hardware connected to the computer", although that
> makes network filesystems not fit in there as good, and introducing
> non-files in the filesystem is dangerous as noted above.
> 

IMHO "Resources" label is better to handle those stuss :-)

> I've deliberately avoided mentioning start-here:, applications: and all
> the software gnome-vfs locations we currently have. This is because I
> don't think we should get them tangled up in the volume handling
> model.
> 

Under "Resouces" too? :-))

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>  Alexander Larsson                                            Red Hat, Inc 
>                    alexl redhat com    alla lysator liu se 
> He's an immortal day-dreaming cowboy looking for 'the Big One.' She's a 
> chain-smoking kleptomaniac lawyer in the witness protection program. They 
> fight crime! 
-- 
Think bigger

			My uncle