On Jul 10, 2013 5:25 AM, "Jaroslav Reznik" <jreznik(a)redhat.com> wrote:
= 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
_______________________________________________
A few questions:
How does gnome-software differentiate between user facing applications and
other packages, ie back end dependencies, system libraries, texlive
packages? What role do maintainers have in making this distinction, and by
what process?
Where does the additional user facing metadata live? How can maintainers
provide it for their packages, and in what format? Will other packagekit
applications be able to take advantage of it, or just gnome-software?
Thanks,
--Pete