New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

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Rodrigian

New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by Rodrigian »

i was reecently thiking and comparing mint install and add/remove application and i found that mintinstall shows a lot of info that maybe the regular user is not intrested in (eg: average rating, date of summision, etc.)

So i tried to fusionate both programs and more or less here is what i have:

Image

1- First, the bar where it says status, score, etc has been changed and now only few but usefull info is displayed.

2- The installed status is like this:
• Green ticked: About to Instal
• Red ticked: About to uninstall
• White: not instaled nor selected
• Blue: Already installed

2- After the user selects the apps to isntall/uninstall and press apply changes a dialog is prompt:

Image

3- The user checks the changes that will be made and then accepts or declines
optimize me

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by optimize me »

Cool! Put the code up on git so we can grab it and test it. I'll beta for you..
Rodrigian

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by Rodrigian »

optimize me wrote:Cool! Put the code up on git so we can grab it and test it. I'll beta for you..
Unfortunatly i did not code it. I don't know how to code!

PS: It's made with photoshop
Rodrigian

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by Rodrigian »

Also a category called "installed apps" could be included in the categories panel, so that the user could check easily all the aplications that he/she has installed in his/her system
khsbenny

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by khsbenny »

This looks good! Simpler to just right click a program and uninstall, but this will help Windows movers.
DrHu

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by DrHu »

Rodrigian wrote:i was reecently thiking and comparing mint install and add/remove application and i found that mintinstall shows a lot of info that maybe the regular user is not intrested in (eg: average rating, date of summision, etc.)
Don't usually use Mintinstall, find synaptic just fine..

Despite any additional information being included, it is not necessary to conclude that it should be eliminated, simply to make the screen as empty as possible.
--the trick with any computer system or any information (data) you are checking is to only pay attention to what is important to you, ignoring everything else

http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/05/03/an ... -synaptic/
mint menu>System>Package manager
The other usual package manager for Debian is Synaptic, which does have a collection of information, which I think is useful (description of the program you have marked for installation)
--the second part of Synaptic is the dialog screens that start after you use the Apply button (to execute the marked changes), you can install multiple applications at once.
  • Synaptic
    --no screenshots are included, not needed, but a description and a possible homepage website is
  • A list of application groupings, categories left side pane
  • A search field
    --to find complete or partial matches for named applications
  • Reload button
    --to update repository list
  • Mark button
    --to make an application selection, for install
  • Apply button
    --an are you ready to install those selections
--you can stop/cancel the choices, unmark selections at any time up to that Apply to proceed button
Rodrigian

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by Rodrigian »

DrHu wrote:synaptic this, synaptic that...
So why the hell do you use mint? If you didn't realise, mint is for new users that are giveing their first steps in linux world?? why you always "guru" people in linux stuff try to keep using "old" program and then they complain about people who use windows?

Why the HELL ON EARTH would someone want to know in what day X package was added?? Why THE HELL ON EARTH would someone have to look and revise all the packages in synaptic trying to look for a web browser?? Is it necessary?? I don0't thinks so. So please if you won't like to upgrade and make things easier, i would recomend you to use expert like distros like slackware, gentoo or debian
DrHu

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by DrHu »

So why the hell do you use mint? If you didn't realise, mint is for new users that are giveing their first steps in linux world?? why you always "guru" people in linux stuff try to keep using "old" program and then they complain about people who use windows?
..
i would recomend you to use expert like distros like slackware, gentoo or debian
...try to keep using "old" program and then ...
Old as in use the terminal or here is a hotkey (alt F2) run type in the name of the application to run; or old as in synaptic, which is still used and still actively developed, and as good or better than most graphic package managers..
http://www.nongnu.org/synaptic/index.html
http://www.nongnu.org/synaptic/action.html
  • Simple, I like it
  • I don't have to like everything about it
  • I don't expect Linux Mint to only provide for my preferences
I don't care whether or not their market is new users..
Which I see as a losing proposition; windows users either don't stay too long with Linux, want to dual boot for various reasons (some are reasonable, some are just habit), and don't want to convert to Linux for those reasons; many go back to windows, for some similar reasons (habit, they are used to it), though they often seem to forget the wrenching changes in both the OS and its popular applications (Ms Office suite)

i would recomend you to use expert like distros..
Already do, Gentoo, Debian also one Bsd, which I don't like as much as Linux, where the development activity is most active.
Despite Gentoo being a source based application, I would suggest that Linux from scratch is a more expert user system; closer to the Linux systems from the 1990's, and in that way like a Bsd system.
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/
Rodrigian

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by Rodrigian »

well sorry you are all right sorry for my bad conduct :| :| :| :| :| :| :|
lagagnon

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by lagagnon »

Rodrigian: In a small way I can understand your desire to make things easier for the Windows user to migrate to Linux. Most of your posts to this forum have been along those lines. However, I do not agree with that stance. Linux is not Windows and nor is a Mac a Windows machine. They are different and each OS has its advantages, disadvantages and special niches. A switch to any OS by any user requires some relearning on the users part. Most Linux software such as mintInstall has extra information for the user than that provided for by dumbed-down Windows applications because Linux is written by people who enjoy computers as technological wonders, not simply as a home/office/game tool. The same can be said for Mac users who enjoy the outstanding graphical/image/presentation capabilities of the Mac.

I personally do not want to see Linux applications go the way of Windows dumbed-down bloatware. It defeats the power and grace behind the Unix/Linux operating systems. A continual pandering to requests for hand-holding, bloated, pretty-but-dumb Windows-like software will only turn Linux distros into tasteless pablum. My $.02 worth...
optimize me

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by optimize me »

lagagnon wrote:Rodrigian: In a small way I can understand your desire to make things easier for the Windows user to migrate to Linux. Most of your posts to this forum have been along those lines. However, I do not agree with that stance. Linux is not Windows and nor is a Mac a Windows machine. They are different and each OS has its advantages, disadvantages and special niches. A switch to any OS by any user requires some relearning on the users part. Most Linux software such as mintInstall has extra information for the user than that provided for by dumbed-down Windows applications because Linux is written by people who enjoy computers as technological wonders, not simply as a home/office/game tool. The same can be said for Mac users who enjoy the outstanding graphical/image/presentation capabilities of the Mac.

I personally do not want to see Linux applications go the way of Windows dumbed-down bloatware. It defeats the power and grace behind the Unix/Linux operating systems. A continual pandering to requests for hand-holding, bloated, pretty-but-dumb Windows-like software will only turn Linux distros into tasteless pablum. My $.02 worth...
QFMFT
delro

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by delro »

lagagnon wrote:Rodrigian: In a small way I can understand your desire to make things easier for the Windows user to migrate to Linux. Most of your posts to this forum have been along those lines. However, I do not agree with that stance. Linux is not Windows and nor is a Mac a Windows machine. They are different and each OS has its advantages, disadvantages and special niches. A switch to any OS by any user requires some relearning on the users part. Most Linux software such as mintInstall has extra information for the user than that provided for by dumbed-down Windows applications because Linux is written by people who enjoy computers as technological wonders, not simply as a home/office/game tool. The same can be said for Mac users who enjoy the outstanding graphical/image/presentation capabilities of the Mac.

I personally do not want to see Linux applications go the way of Windows dumbed-down bloatware. It defeats the power and grace behind the Unix/Linux operating systems. A continual pandering to requests for hand-holding, bloated, pretty-but-dumb Windows-like software will only turn Linux distros into tasteless pablum. My $.02 worth...



With all the legitimacy of your argument, you are talking from a developer's/hobbyist's point-of-view. The ultimate goal of a computer and the OS is so the end-user can use it for home/office/gaming. Isn't Mint's approach to be the Linux for the desktop? I think most of us here in the forums (including you and I :) ) appreciate the computing-greatness that Linux is... but the extra mouse-click, the extra pop-up prompt, the superfluous info that could've been hidden with a right-click>properties/Get Info detracts from The Desktop Experience, period.

The less typing or the less reading I have to do, the better. If I want to type more, there will always be a man page. If I want to read more, I could just look up the (semi-hidden) properties pane. Call it the promotion of short-attention spans, but that is the desktop way.

I know the kind of hand-holding we despise (i.e. the Windows pop-up balloons, Clippy) but no OS (OS X being the closest, in my humble, subjective and fallible opinion) has struck that balance yet. Windows needs to be less obtrusive/inane and Linux needs to be a little more thoughtful and down-to-earth. (quote: Most Linux software such as mintInstall has extra information for the user than that provided for by dumbed-down Windows applications) Note that my argument has no such trace of "burn the repo/GPL/source/techie info at the stake" wording.

A very good example would be the thoroughness of man and the relatively simpler --help.

The distinction between bloated and simple+easy should be clarified.
Rodrigian

Re: New Mint install (mock up) somehow easier for the New user

Post by Rodrigian »

that's why i like gnome add/remove. Simple. You see the stars (if you need them) click the checkbox and then install. Simple, fast and when looking for a peculiar software, i can easily find it by it's icon. In mintInstal, this isn't possible. That's why I beg Clem to make these changes or at least let you choose the columns like rating, date added, etc.
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