[maemo-developers] Software categories

[From: Quim Gil]

Install files have nothing to do with repositories, they solve different
problems. Easy although potentially messy install files vs efficient
although potentially harder to use APT tools might have to have a
relation between mainstream vs cult.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a happy Synaptic user in my desktop and the day
Debian and free software in general won my respect and soul was the day
I understood the central repository concept. Now is the time to make
this great invention combine with *easy* ways to know the software you
can get and get it.

One day (perhaps it was yesterday, I remember seeing/reading something)
we will have web based catalogs with install files for distros with
central repositories and end users will be happy about that. (and
probably software developers/publishers too).

Let's improve the application catalog, the repositories and
downloads.maemo.org. They are called to be good friends.




On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 11:37 +0300, Ed Bartosh wrote:
> On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 08:58 +0300, Quim Gil wrote:
> > The install files don't bring any mess, they just make the mess more
> > transparent and accessible. Don't kill the messenger, though. Instead,
> > fix the mess.
> I didn't say that. I said that they're hiding the mess, which is bad
> thing from my point of view. It's always better to fix the mess then
> hide it, don't you agree? I'm pretty sure that it would be much better
> to setup proper well maintained repositories for 3rd party software then
> inventing .install files.
> 
> BTW, Debian and other linux distributions proved central repository
> concept long time ago. I have no idea why we didn't follow it from the
> start, but re-invented Windows-like one-click installations instead.
> 
> > 
> > If the extras repositories is going to have some kind of community
> > quality assurance we can show an icon "community supported" or something
> > next to the install files in the app pages at downloads.maemo.org , like
> > we plan to do with "Nokia official" software.
> > 
> > If we are going to agree on sections we can just apply the same sections
> > to http://downloads.maemo.org/
> > 
> > And so on. 
> > 
> > On Thu, 2007-08-16 at 17:23 +0300, ext Ed Bartosh wrote:
> > > I don't think that creating new service is anyhow better than extend
> > > existing one.
> > 
> > This is true or false depending on the cases. Besides, from a mainstream
> > user point of view an "application manager" is a new service compared to
> > a web catalog of downloadable software, with an extended functionality
> > to get one-click installs.
> > 
> > In our case downloads.maemo.org and the install files provide a way for
> > end users to know about the software they can get and install it in a
> > very easy way. This is the main objective and it's accomplished.
> > 
> They also provide an easy way for users to get confused when some maemo
> enthusiast stops providing his/her repository. In this case AM will
> suddenly stop updating indexes.
> 
> > Via a web interface you can get all the information you want, no matter
> > if you are now with your tablet or with a PC, at home or in a cybercafe.
> > The install file links should operate differently if you are in a tablet
> > rather you are in a system where you can't install the applications
> > (improvement pending). The single click install functionality could also
> > be more seamless, showing a fluent progress to the user instead of the
> > current jumps (another improvement pending).
> > 
> Getting information is good, I agree. Automatic addition of unreliable
> repositories is very bad. At least for non-experienced users.
> 
> > downloads.maemo.org still needs more power from the community
> > contribution: all the apps present there with info updated by the
> > developers, more user comments and ratings, and so on. There are a
> > couple of projects pointing in this direction: maemo CRM, Quality
> > Assurance and a promotion path we will set showing to developers how to
> > push your software from the lowest maemo level to the Nokia marketing
> > channels.
> > 
> > None of this is stopping us from improving the Application Manager and
> > fixing the repositories issue.
> > 
> Of course not :)
> 
-- 
Quim Gil - http://maemo.org