Ubuntu Wiki

• Launchpad Entry: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/klik-integration

• Created: Date(2006-01-25T02:52:56Z) by Merc2

• Contributors: Merc2

• Packages affected:

Summary

I believe it's very important to integrate Klik and Ubuntu as much as possible. Klik offers a way of installing applications in GNU/Linux without actually using a repository. It's based on the "Appdirs" specifications.

Rationale

At the moment, to install an application a user needs to use Synaptics. This means that s/he will need root access, AND that the package will need to be available in one of the repositories.

Use cases

• A user wants to install an application without having root access to the system
• A user wants to copy an application onto a CD, and be able to run it off the CD without installing it
• A user wants to install an application that is not available in any repository

Scope

This only covers software installation WITHOUT using Synaptics.

Design

Please have a look at [ this interview http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/free_issues/issue_11/simon_peter_interview/ ] for more information about Klik (straight from the author!)

Basically, Klik is "ready to go". What is missing, at the moment, is:

• A way of "registering" where an application is. An application could be registered the first time it's run (as it happens is OS X). Then, if it's moved by the GUI, it could re-register itself in the new location
• An EASY way of assigning mime types to a registered application.

Both these modifications would be fairly easily achieved by patching Nautilous.

The tricky part would be the creation of an applet that checks that each registered application is indeed up-to-date. This is much trickier, but still not impossible to achieve.

Implementation

The coding involved would be:

• Patching nautilous so that it registers applications. This should be done in such a way so that Konqueror for example does it in a compatible fashion
• Writing the applet that works on the updates

Code

• None available

Outstanding issues

BoF agenda and discussion

CategorySpec