Idea
#103: Improve add/remove programs
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1461
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Written by Ubuwu the 28 Feb 08 at 17:37.
Category: System.
Related to:
Nothing/Others.
Status: New
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Description
Expansion of Add Remove Programs - show user-provided descriptions, feature lists, screenshots, comments, ratings, integration with launchpad. Initial page should be top-rated apps, or newest apps. Managed by a webapp?
Or... leave it as it is, but create a website displaying all the great software available for ubuntu including all the features mentioned above with apturl links to install.
From #4613 (merged):
It should be indicated how much I'll have to download to install something.
We have download limits here and well... quite often I exceed them. It would be useful to indicate how big the download is going to be.
Tags:
(none)
Attachments
 Bug #157570 : I don't know how big a package is in the package manager
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Duplicates
Comments
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edcrypt wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 18:06
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"Or... leave it as it is, but create a website displaying all the great software available for ubuntu including all the features mentioned above with apturl links to install."
packages.ubuntu.com could be "upgraded" to web2.0.
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blue.note wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 18:44
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I would like to see a single package manager that presents descriptions, ratings, comments, outstanding bugs, etc.
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some_random_noob wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 19:47
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Yes, comments and ratings would be good - there could be an option to download the extra info. But make sure that the rating system ISN'T based on the number of downloads.
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cybermanolin wrote on the 28 Feb 08 at 20:14
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and other language translations
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shad0w_walker wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 00:32
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Got to agree with the extra information but definately make it a 'More info' button or drop down that loads more information. Also have to agree with random_noob above, make it a user rated thing, not just how many downloads.
At the very least, if its based on downloads, please make the default installed packages lower priority on the list. I hate opening it up to see programs I already have listed as high because they are the defaults.
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jonathanmotes wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 00:34
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I think it would be really helpful if add/remove programs showed the release version. For now, I have to look in the synaptic package manager to determine it. I think this is important for users that want the latest release of a program and need to to know if it exists in the repositories.
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lcampagn wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 01:43
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Agreed--one of the downsides to having the enormous debian package repository is having to sift through 8 different apps that do the same thing, only to learn that half really suck and only one is actively maintained.
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fluxy wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 01:53
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Add/Remove program should be itself wholly removed and replaced by a program with an embedded browser showing the website you say ("Or... leave it as it is, but create a website displaying all the great software available for ubuntu including all the features mentioned above with apturl links to install.") - maybe with a download.com style. The key is to keep the website alive and updated.
This would make a fine idea indeed.
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wolfier wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 02:08
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This feature is nice, but between having a fancy add/remove dialog and performance, I'd choose performance any day.
I'm assuming adding all these bells and whistles will create a non-negligible performance hit.
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wolfier wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 02:09
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Therefore...I believe making it a remote (i.e. web) feature is preferred. Central control as a bonus.
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stevec wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 04:12
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I'd like to see all the application managers in Ubuntu become aptitude based.
For those who don't know the difference, unlike apt, aptitude keeps track of what programs get installed as dependencies of other things. When you apt-get remove something, it may leave behind programs or libraries installed as dependencies that you don't need for anything on your computer anymore. If you aptitude remove something (that has been aptitude installed), it notifies you that there are dependencies that will no longer be required by any installed packages and asks if you'd like to remove those dependencies also.
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derick.eisenhardt wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 07:11
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If Ubuntu/Canonical wants to keep working and focusing on the Add/Remove GUI, they need to work towards having it completely replace Synaptic and make Synaptic simply an optional install. Currently it is a little confusing for new users where there are two very different package management interfaces for them to choose from by default.
This would also mean you would need the ability to add more than just applications (maybe an "advanced" button, or different tabs for Apps, Utilities/Tools (aka CLI type stuff), Libraries and "System Components."
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roynux wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 09:25
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> cybermanolin wrote on the 28 Feb 08
> and other language translations
I insist on that. The applications have correct translations, but their description on synaptic or "Add/Remove Applications" is of no use for someone who doesn’t speak English.
I realize that it will be too much work to translate every description, but for some meta-packages it could be done. And why not show pictures of the application in some kind of detailed description.
What I imagine is something like http://www.cnr.com but local on the computer.
This could of course be shared by other distributions.
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igor4u wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 09:29
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I think it must be something like Addons Manager in Firefox 3.
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halo wrote on the 29 Feb 08 at 16:49
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Could possibly be useful if you could magically launch the package manager from within the web browser allowing for easy installation from vendor's websites.
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ozone702 wrote on the 1 Mar 08 at 01:53
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I like my idea better. See idea #2001...
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niallabrown wrote on the 1 Mar 08 at 02:16
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I think that leading new users to the applications they need is important. Could there be a filter that allows new users to just focus on the some key productivity apps without all the complex packages for advanced users and to toggle back and forth as needed? I found many of the applications were just confusing to me when I started with Ubuntu and that there was no clear way to find the basic necessities.
Also screenshots would make it much easier for new users to have an idea of what programs look good to them. To ensure they are current maybe it would be possible to have the community upload the screenshots right from the add/remove menu.
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rouge568 wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 04:27
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Does anyone know about osalt.com? It's a list of closed source applications and their open source counterparts. Though it's not very updated, it has they kind of layout that I think would be nice for this.
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shadowfirebird wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 21:32
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I'm for removing add/remove programs and making Synaptic *slightly* prettier. The end result would be less confusing.
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jreyst wrote on the 3 Mar 08 at 05:19
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Personally I'd like to see more information about installed applications available from an Application Manager applet like
Installed
Installed by
Install
Total Size of all Installed Files and Components on Disk
Last Used
Make this application available to these users:
[X] John
[ ] Mary
[X] Bill
[ ] Janet
] All
This information would be helpful in determining how much disk space is being used, who is using the app and when, who installed the app, and allow you to manage who can access that application.
Just my 2 cents.
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jreyst wrote on the 3 Mar 08 at 05:22
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Wow is my previous comment mangled. It didn't look like that when I hit 'Post your comment' I swear. The first line was supposed to say 'Date installed', line 3 where it says Install all by itself was supposed to say 'Install Date' and the very last line was supposed to be '[ ] All Users'
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El_Tate wrote on the 12 Mar 08 at 20:44
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I'd like some 'automatic' tool for install a program. I mean, in linux you have the damn tar.gz, rpm, deb, sources, and another bunch of type of installers for applications like .package, .mint, etc.
It'd be a great add-on to have an "Install Application" button in the Add/Remove, where it ask about the format of the installer. So, the user just have to give the path to the file and the wizard would do the rest. Adding it to the synaptic list for uninstall, creating the shortcuts and the logical links, and compiling it in case that it would be a source. If it a tar.gz it should ask for the installing script or something and give the user just the options of that installer, then continue with the installation.
Actually if you don't find the app in the repos, or it's but an old version (via add/remove or synaptic, or downloading the .deb), can be a really pain install an app, AND uninstalling it.
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umonkey wrote on the 13 Mar 08 at 19:04
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It looks like the stars are currently shown based on the number of installs of a particular software. This is wrong, because the most used software is not necessarily the best one. This locks us with the old software and lowers the chance of a newer analogue to get noticed. I think that there sould be a built-in voting system with options: "I like this" and "I don't like this (why)".
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benefactor wrote on the 15 Mar 08 at 09:36
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Screenshots would be great! A picture says more than a thousand words. Thumbnail previews if available and connected to the internet, click to enlarge.
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korvins wrote on the 21 Mar 08 at 21:15
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Please include idea #4613: Add/Remove: Download size
Let's make this as a file viewer: you can have optional columns and sort them by size, popularity (as it is currently), type of application (supported by ubuntu, unsupported, third party), and others...
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NachoBlanco wrote on the 23 Mar 08 at 19:08
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I would like to be able to hide programs that don't integrate well with my desktop.
I mean, the option to hide KDE programs if I use Gnome, etc.
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dinar wrote on the 15 Apr 08 at 21:06
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"special local storage folder for package files"
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2cents wrote on the 24 Apr 08 at 22:09
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We seem to have 3 options:
[1] Improve/add features to the "Add/Remove" program
[2] Improve/add features to Synaptic
[3] Create Web-based Package Manager (*)
If we take the option [3], all efforts on [1] and [2] are a total waste.
In my opinion, [3] makes sense because users can constantly add/modify the software metadata (e.g screenshots, descriptions) of their favorite apps using a wiki.
I totally agree with derick.eisenhardt that having 2 different package managers is confusing and replacing Synaptic is better than keeping them both. So I'm for the option [1] if [3] is not viable.
What do you think?
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(*) Something like:
Software portal by Linux Mint
http://linuxmint.com/software/
CNR
http://www.cnr.com/
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octathlon wrote on the 7 May 08 at 03:21
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Besides download size, the package name and version should be displayed. I like the Add/Remove interface as a nice way to browse for software, but I often find myself wondering, is this package 'x' that I already know about, or some other package?
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ubuntu4fun wrote on the 10 May 08 at 16:23
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@elias1884 wrote on the 8 May 08 at 14:35
"I want to be able to deinstall a program from the Main Menu!"
This option is already implemented in Linux mintMenu 3.3 in LinuxMint 5.0.
It's based on Ubuntu Hardy 8.04. Beta version is to be released soon. I think Linux mintMenu is superb solution for Ubuntu so far. Give it a try.
The process of installation a new applications (mintInstall) in LinuxMint is IMHO much better than in Ubuntu, too. Here is some info about how it works in previous LinuxMint 4.0 version (screenshots attached):
http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_daryna.php
Linux Mint Software Portal currently looks like this:
http://linuxmint.com/software/?sec=categories&release=3
I think CNR is more polished and WORKS great with Ubuntu Hardy 8.04 (you just only need to download and install suitable package): http://www.cnr.com/
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ubuntu4fun wrote on the 12 May 08 at 17:43
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There are some screenshots with description about how these problems were solved in new Linux Mint 5.0 (based on Ubuntu Hardy).
Take a look at section
1. mintMenu improvements:
"In Daryna, mintInstall and the Software Portal made it easy to install applications. In Elyssa mintMenu is making it easy to remove them. You don't need to open synaptic or to launch a terminal anymore, if you want to uninstall an application, simply right-click on it in the menu and select “Uninstall”. - VERY USEFUL
3. mintInstall improvements
From mintInstall you can now search for a particular package, show its description (which also lists the files it contains) or even install it.
The search dialog now supports the GetDeb.net software portal !
The search dialog now also supports APT itself. This is a convenient shortcut as mintInstall is much lighter than synaptic and more user friendly than the APT command line utilities.
Read more:
http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_elyssa.php
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drinkypoo wrote on the 14 Jun 08 at 15:52
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+1 for the web site. should that maybe be broken out into its own idea? improving gnome-app-install and creating/improving the website are two separate suggestions.
It makes little sense to try to make gnome-app-install do everything. There are definitely improvements to be made. KDE/GTK filtering, download size/installed size display/sort, and more subcategories would all be useful. What I noticed lately is that there's so much stuff in there that you can easily miss things just due to information overload :) I remember at the beginning when it was sparser it was easier to find things, especially things you cared about. Today, if you don't know you want Inkscape or Scribus you might just blink and miss them.
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hewitt wrote on the 24 Jul 08 at 02:48
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I'd like to see the UI of the Add/Remove screen improved a bit. I hate the email client look and feel (ie. folders on left, messages on top, preview pane on bottom). The description pane takes up so much room, allowing you to see only a few programs at once. Sure you can maximize the window or resize the pane, but the pane reverts back to the same height each time the window opens. What I want to see is a list of categories on the left, and a list of programs on the right. You single click the program, much like a hyperlink, and it opens a detailed page with program info, version number, screenshots, etc...
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Blueprint add-remove-software-improvements:
