KubuntuMaverickKPackagekitUsability

Summary

Usability changes to make in KPackageKit

Release Note

KPackageKit has been improved to make the package install process nicer.

Rationale

KPackageKit could do with some improvements

User stories

Alice installs a package without being bamboozled with dialogues.

Design

Blocked updates should be hidden, they are not useful to most users.

Icons for installed apps do not show in the version in 10.04. Ensure this is working in 10.10.

The action buttons on the right hand side are surprisingly complex. We did not come to a specific conclusion but the state icon should have a tooltip. One idea was to use link style labels with "Install" and "Remove" text, the text would change to "Ready to Install" or "Ready to Remove" when clicked. Another was to have a push button with "Install" or "Remove" text which would stay de-pressed when clicked to indicate the ready to install state. The buttons would only appear when the item was selected or when the mouse was hovering over it to prevent having a long stack of buttons cluttering the screen. In either case the current state icons would be separate.

The Install dialogue should be simplified, the text should go into the "Details" section and not shown by default. Jonathan would like to see the secondary dialogue listing all the packages to be install not to be shown unless packages are being removed.

If notified for updates the upgrade screen should have all items selected by default. (This isn't the case for the upgrade screen when opened as part of KPackageKit or System Settings because it would need the apply or cancel actions to be done before changing away from the upgrade kcmodule.

CategorySpec

KubuntuMaverickKPackagekitUsability (last edited 2010-05-14 08:42:31 by 217)