[maemo-community] Command line apps & Extras

[From: Daniel Martin Yerga]

On Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:15:18 +0000
David Greaves <david at dgreaves.com> wrote:

> On Thu, 2009-11-26 at 12:33 +0100, Jeremiah Foster wrote:
> > On Nov 26, 2009, at 12:03, Roald de Vries wrote:
> > 
> > > Hi,
> > > 
> > > On Nov 25, 2009, at 11:24 PM, Valerio Valerio wrote:
> > >> Please share your opinion, we need to decide about this asap.
> > > 
> > > Maemo's biggest competitive edge (compared to for example the
> > > iPhone) is the freedom it offers to its users. From that point of
> > > view the CLI apps should definitely be available.
> > 
> > It's not that the CLI apps will be available - of course they will
> > - it is user experience, or as the meme calls it: UX.
> > 
> > From a user perspective, CLI tools break the UX. I say keep them
> > only available through apt-get.
> 
> And what would you use for an app 'browser'?
> 
> In general I want to keep them away from 'end users' and keep them
> trivially accessible by power users. I (almost) like HAM.

"Power users" always can use the red pill mode in the application
manager to install/browse CLI applications, upgrade libraries, and even
get that feature called "reboot loop" ;-)

I think that the red pill mode is really easy (and sufficient) for those
power users, and without have to get root and go to the terminal to use
apt-get.

I think that there will be a new section in the application manager
(user/hidden) that it just shows updates but it doesn't show anything
in the install list. I'm not sure if it is the real function of this
section, I have only seen the git changelog, and I haven't looked more
in depth. Perhaps, it can be useful for the "update problem".

In my opinion If we allow CLI applications in Extras, end-users will be
dissappointed, they will install CLI applications with this reason:

This application is called socat: so-cat (a cat!, surely it's like a
tamagotchi!). 
End-users (and start-users too) generally don't read descriptions, they
first shoot and then ask ;-)
When they see that the application that they installed isn't
anywhere in a graphical form, they will be dissappointed and will say
"Maemo apps sucks", "Maemo is only for developers". Well, they won't if
it happens only one time, but if it happens with let's say 10-15
applications, they will do.

I know that if we take this decision, it's going to be difficult for
us. In the end, we are the kind of people using these CLI utilities, but
what would happen if the end-users were the people deciding about this?
Would they be happy to have "sqlite" between "recorder" and "theremin"
in the all-list?

Can we to do a survey to the normal people (not techies) around us? Just
ask them: "What would you think if you install an application in your
phone (ehh, mobile computer) and it doesn't appear anywhere?" 
Of course, in a better English than mine.

If we want to help Maemo to go mainstream (whatever it means), we
will must take difficult decisions with some old GNU/Linux traditions,
and this is the first decision of this kind, surely we will see more.
-- 
Daniel Martin Yerga
http://yerga.net