[maemo-developers] Software categories

[From: Ed Bartosh]

On Fri, 2007-08-17 at 12:02 +0300, Quim Gil wrote:
> Install files have nothing to do with repositories, they solve different
> problems. 
Are you sure? I still think that AM adds repositories from .install
files to its configuration.

> 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.
> 
I'm not speaking about APT tools. Application Manager was designed for
user-friendly package installation, no?

> 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 :)
> > 
-- 
Ed Bartosh <eduard.bartosh at nokia.com>
Nokia-M/Helsinki