Re: [Usability]UI Review Suggestions - Panel & [Usability]some stuff for the ui-review of the gnome-panel

[Frederic Crozat <fcrozat mandrakesoft com>]

Le lun 18/11/2002 à 12:30, Roberto Rosselli Del Turco a écrit :
> I second this. I think the present GNOME Menu is too rich and should be
> spread on the Menu Panel. Moreover, consider that often distributions
> add the whole GNOME Menu to their custom menu structure: take Mandrake
> Linux 9.0, f.i., you end with a very crammed main menu, including all
> kind of applications and stuff, which also includes the complete GNOME
> Menu. I think this is very confusing for the average user (sorry
> Frederic :) : two different menu structures, duplicate entries,
> preferences scattered in three different places, etc. Defining a
> sensible top level menu structure would encourage distros in following
> the same scheme. Perhaps it would help to add a Preferences menu where
> could live general purpose and distro specific config tools.

Don't be sorry, our menu structure is not the "perfect one" :))

It is really hard to come with a clean menu structure which will please
everybody..

Our menu structure in GNOME is composed of 3 parts :
-the "main" menu structure (ie Mandrake menu), which must display ALL
graphical applications available on the system.. Since the number of
applications available is very high, GNOME menu structure (ie only one
sub-level in the hierarchy) can't be used.. Moreover, the menu must be
identical if you are under GNOME, KDE or IceWM.. (that is the main power
of the Debian menu system..).. We must not highlight one application
more than another..

-the "what to do ?" (or task oriented) menu : this structure tries to
select one application per task.. Application selection is also based on
the current running desktop : if you are under GNOME, the "Read Email"
task will launch Evolution, but under KDE, it will run KMail..

-the "GNOME" menu (this one is specific to GNOME).. This is the
"applications://" menu aka GNOME original menu.. I left this menu as a
submenu because we used to be bashed when only Mandrake menu was
available in GNOME.. (See how RH was bashed for their RH8 .. We went
through a similar process 2 years ago :))

Users (or administrators) are always free to change the menu layout
using menudrake (you can hide the mandrake layout and get a "stock"
GNOME menu..)


-- 
Frederic Crozat <fcrozat mandrakesoft com>
MandrakeSoft