Comments on echo "Linux blog" | nc blogger.com 80: Screen shots in the package manager

Screenshots should definitely not be in the SRPM f...

2009-06-04T05:50:18.357+12:00

Screenshots should definitely not be in the SRPM files. They don't have anything to do with building the package, so it makes no sense to bloat the SRPMs with screenshots.

Instead, they should be in the Mandriva subversion repository. From there, some automatic script, can publish them on a web server.

In feedback to comments so far: 1. Screenshots ...

2009-06-03T10:32:50.995+12:00

In feedback to comments so far:

1. Screenshots of text based applications.. Sure.

2. Debian screen shots: Interesting, I was not aware they did this. Screen shots in debian work by using a central website: http://screenshots.debian.net/

Synaptic then tries to download the screen shot and thumbnail from a central server.

I prefer a decentralized approach having screenshots on mirrors, and even possibly other media.

I also see these as part of a package, so should be able to be maintained by the package maintainer.

Romain: yes, I agree that the successor to rpmdrake will be a mashup of components.

I am sure the is lots of people wanting to use synaptic, smart and other package management tools. I am interested in the infrastructure behind these tools and making incremental improvements, so don't want to get into a debate as to which one is better.

This is a great idea. I am only a user but think t...

2009-06-03T08:24:09.850+12:00

This is a great idea. I am only a user but think this would have been very useful when I started using linux. Also, why not "screenshots" of text based programs? Many of them are what gives linux an advantage over windows. Just because they are not point and click doesn't mean they shouldn't be made easy to learn about.

RPMDrake not only needs an overhaul, it needs repl...

2009-06-03T01:55:08.364+12:00

RPMDrake not only needs an overhaul, it needs replaced. Simply put, it's too simplistic to be truly useful to those of us that know our way around, and almost a slap in the face to new users because it dumbs them down so much. Also, URMPI, which is the backend of RPMDrake, is not only a PITA to add repositories, it's ridiculously slow.

Synaptic is far better. It's a Swiss Army knife, yet it's very simple to use. This is why PCLinuxOS has adopted it. Also, with the popularity of Ubuntu, it and it's backend Apt are familiar to those venturing out from Ubuntu.

In the end, I'm betting on most major distros moving to PackageKit and its Gnome and KDE front ends Gnome-Packagekit and KPackagekit, respectively. It seems to be very promising. Fedora and Kubuntu have already adopted it.

Nice idea. We've been scratching the surface ...

2009-06-03T00:09:53.181+12:00

Nice idea.

We've been scratching the surface about this when we worked on Kiosk a few years ago.

Actually, for this, as well as for a comment/review system, a full web-based solution would be a better solution:
- lighter to setup and release (without having to change repositories infrastructure)
- easier to integrate with social behaviours (comments & reviews of course, but submissions and fixes as well as translations),
- easier to integrate with 3rd parties web apps.

I'm pretty confident that rpmdrake successor ought to be a mashup of local web services (as a urpmi interface) and remote web services (as for screenshots, reviews, comments, usage, etc.).

Debian's Synaptic already has that... but it is us...

2009-06-02T23:52:43.503+12:00

Debian's Synaptic already has that... but it is useless AMHO :

- too small to see anything
- it doesn't replace the real test of an application.

But you are right that rpmdrake is THE thing to improve : it is where most of my users need help.