Ramblings and questions regarding Fedora, but stemming from gnome-software and desktop environments

[Richard Hughes]

On 2 January 2015 at 10:02, Alec Leamas <leamas.alec at gmail.com> wrote:
> Here is a some common ground, indeed. Seems that we agree on that installing
> CLI stuff is something that should be handled in a developer-oriented
> workstation

If you're using gcc, you're using a terminal. We supply two command
line package managers (dnf, yum) which allow you to do this. If you're
using eclipse, then we already allow applications to install addons
for different use-cases (which can have deps like gcc),

> Now, in my mind installing/updating non-GUI software is not a corner-case
> for a developer - it's probably the most common installation done even when
> working with GUI tools.

Citation needed.

> From this perspective, I guess that if gnome-software (g-s) upstream defines
> installing CLI stuff as something which should be handled by "something
> else", I cannot really see the point handling updates in g-s.

I don't see how you've got to this logic at all.

> In the end, isn't this one hand about if gnome-software's upstream is
> willing to undertake the work to adapt also to the developer usecase?

No! GNOME Software is designed as an application installer for GNOME.
We're using gnome-software in Fedora workstation, but that doesn't
mean that the upstream application has to align with the workstation
PRD 100% or else it's "not suitable".

> Because as of now, gnome-software just doesn't fit the workstation bill

I think you're misunderstanding what most developers do. We probably
spend about 10 minutes installing development packages (on the command
line) when setting up a new OS instance. I then spend a year or so of
installing or removing the odd application, and a few minutes every
week applying updates. I don't think GNOME Software is hugely useful
for installing low-level developer packages, which is fine. It doesn't
mean it's not a useful application.

Rather than talking in riddles in your emails, could you also please
suggest what needs to be done? Are you in favour of ripping out
gnome-software and installing yumex in the workstation image? Do you
have an alternate application proposal with design mockups?

Richard