F20 Self Contained Change: Application Installer
= Proposed Self Contained Change: Application Installer =
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/AppInstaller
Change owner(s): Richard Hughes <rhughes(a)redhat.com>, together with the
desktop team
We will replace the existing gnome-packagekit frontends (gpk-update-viewer and
gpk-application) by a new application.
== Detailed description ==
The current PackageKit frontends are focused on (surprise!) packages.
The new tool, tentatively named gnome-software, is designed from the beginning
for installing applications. It will present applications with information
that is relevant to users (screenshots, reviews, descriptions, ratings,...)
instead of information that is relevant for packagers (dependencies, package
size, file lists,...).
It will be possible to search and browse for available applications.
gnome-software will also be used to present information about available and
installed updates. Notifications about available updates will launch gnome-
software if the user chooses to see details. gnome-software will be fully
integrated with 'offline updates' - if an update includes system packages, it
will be done as an offline update, regardless whether it gets initiated from the
gnome-shell menu, a notification, or the gnome-software UI.
To improve some problematic aspects of the updates user experience (long
waits, locks), we will use the new hawkey backend for PackageKit.
== Scope ==
Proposal owners:
* Implement minimal required functionality for application installation in
gnome-software
* Implement minimal required functionality for updates in gnome-software
* Replace gpkg-update-viewer
* Package gnome-software
* Include a hawkey backend in PackageKit and use it
Other developers:
* Use gnome-software instead of gpk-update-viewer when dealing with updates in
gnome-settings-daemon, gnome-shell and gnome-control-center
Release engineering:
* Make metadata available for packaged applications in Fedora (screenshots,
icons, ratings,...). Not all of this needs to be in place for F20
Policies and guidelines:
* No immediate changes needed; longer-term, we probably want to make changes
to way applications are distributed and installed
* The update experience will also benefit from proposed changes to batch
updates